Pure CuCr2O4 nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and their morphological and size effects on the catalytic thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

•The Cu–Cr–O nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile sol–gel route firstly.•Then, the Cu–Cr/AP composites were prepared by solvent/non-solvent method.•Effects of morphological and size of the Cu–Cr–O nanoparticles on the thermal decomposition of AP were studied.•Pure CuCr2O4 nanoparticles exhibited higher catalytic activity for AP decomposition.•The two exothermic peaks come closer and the peak temperatures are lower.

In the present paper a pure phase of the copper chromite spinel nanoparticles (CuCr2O4 SNPs) were synthesized via the sol–gel route using citric acid as a complexing agent. Then, the CuCr2O4 SNPs has been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the next step, with the addition of Cu–Cr–O nanoparticles (NPs), the effects of different parameters such as Cu–Cr–O particle size and the Cu/Cr molar ratios on the thermal behavior of Cu–Cr–O NPs + AP (ammonium perchlorate) mixtures were investigated. As such, the catalytic effect of the Cu–Cr–O NPs for thermal decomposition of AP was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). TGA/DSC results showed that the samples with different morphologies exhibited different catalytic activity in different stages of thermal decomposition of AP. Also, in the presence of Cu–Cr–O nanocatalysts, all of the exothermic peaks of AP shifted to a lower temperature, indicating the thermal decomposition of AP was enhanced. Moreover, the heat released (ΔH) in the presence of Cu–Cr–O nanocatalysts was increased to 1490 J g−1.

Graphical abstractTransmission electron microscopy (a) and X-ray diffraction spectrum (b) of pure copper chromite nanoparticles calcined at 600 °C for 3 h in air (as the best catalyst in this study).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide