title: Dispersed Cu₂O octahedrons on h-BN nanosheets for p-nitrophenol reduction.
abstract: We demonstrate here that two-dimensional boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets can be employed as a robust supporting substrate to incorporate function metal oxides. The Cu2O@h-BN composites are thus obtained by dispersing Cu2O octahedrons on the surfaces of h-BN nanosheets. The -OH and -NH groups on the surfaces of h-BN nanosheets are found to be beneficial for anchoring Cu2O octahedrons. Moreover, the Cu2O@h-BN composites exhibit superior activity for the reduction of p-nitrophenol to pure Cu2O crystals and h-BN nanosheets. The h-BN component in the composites plays a critical role in the formation and adsorbing of the p-nitrophenolate ions, and, at the same time, Cu2O components react with brohydride ions and transfer a surface hydrogen species and electrons, resulting in the reduction of p-nitrophenol into p-aminophenol. Our results provide a new approach for the rational design and development of metal oxides composites and open the way to a range of important applications of h-BN-based materials.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Photocatalysis, State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University , 523 Gongye Road, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Caijin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Weiqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Qiuwen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu