Novel Magnetic Bimetallic AuCu Catalyst for Reduction of Nitroarenes and Degradation of Organic Dyes

Abstract

Herein, core-shell magnetic nanoparticles are modified with imidazolium-tagged phosphine and propylene glycol moieties and used for stabilization of bimetallic AuCu nanoparticles. The structure and morphology of prepared material is identified with SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, atomic absorption spectroscopy, Fourier translation infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. This hydrophilic magnetic bimetallic catalyst applied in the reduction of toxic nitroarenes and degradation of hazardous organic dyes of methyl orange (MO), methyl red (MR), and rhodamine B (RhB), as well as in the degradation of tetracycline (TC). This magnetic AuCu catalyst indicated superior activity in all three mentioned reactions in comparison with its single metal analogs Au and Cu. This catalyst was recycled for 17 consecutive runs in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol without a significant decreasing in catalytic activity and recycled catalyst was characterized.