A one-step method for preparation of Cu@Cu2O nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide and their catalytic activities in N-arylation of N-heterocycles

•Core–shell Cu@Cu2O nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (Cu@Cu2O NPs–RGO).•Ligand free N-arylation of N-heterocycles under aerobic condition.•N-arylation of N-heterocycles in short reaction time.•EDS, FT-IR, Raman, SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS characterization of Cu@Cu2O NPs–RGO.

Core–shell Cu@Cu2O nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (Cu@Cu2O NPs–RGO) nanocomposite were prepared at room temperature by in situ reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and copper sulfate using l-ascorbic acid as reducing agent and then the air oxidation of copper nanoparticles’ surface. The Cu@Cu2O NPs–RGO nanocomposite was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Finally, Cu@Cu2O NPs–RGO nanocomposite was used as an efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalyst in N-arylation of N-heterocycles.

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