Facile fabrication of three-dimensional porous CuFe2O4 cages as highly efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst

The design and preparation of high-performance catalysts with high catalytic activity and excellent durability that are both environmentally benign and cost-effective remains a considerable challenge. Herein, a facile strategy is reported for the fabrication of three-dimensional porous CuFe 2 O 4 cages, shortly as 3D CuFe 2 O 4 @C, by bubbling oxygen produced in situ through a CuFe 2 O 4 suspension, followed by thermal treatment in nitrogen atmosphere. The 3D CuFe 2 O 4 @C structure increases the surface area of CuFe 2 O 4 and provides a porous support structure. It is proposed to be a key in preventing the aggregation of CuFe 2 O 4 during practical use. 3D CuFe 2 O 4 @C is shown to be a highly active catalyst, not only for the hydrogenation of p -nitrophenol, but also for the reduction of methylene blue in aqueous medium . 3D CuFe 2 O 4 @C exhibits remarkable catalytic activity towards p -nitrophenol reduction, with a catalytic rate constant of 2.167   min −   1 that is 5.35 times higher than that with pristine CuFe 2 O 4 (0.405   min −   1 ). In addition, the 3D CuFe 2 O 4 @C catalyst has a high saturation magnetization of 51.9   emu   g −   1 , indicating that it can be easily recycled using a magnet. The 3D porous metal oxide nanostructure shows promising potentials as candidates for the remediation of contaminated aquatic environments and meets the demands for addressing future environmental issues.