Recent Developments in the Biosynthesis of Cu-Based Recyclable Nanocatalysts Using Plant Extracts and their...

Copper nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the most commercialized nanomaterials. From the standpoint of nanotechnology copper-based nanostructured materials have many applications in biological process, folk medicine, electronics, and industrial fields. With growing concern regarding the energy crisis and problems of chemical and physical procedures to prepare the metal nanoparticles, efforts for alternative traditional chemistry attracted particular considerations. A widespread of researches have studied on biological methods which do not generate hazardous waste and therefore, don't need the purification processes. Plants could be remarkably valuable to exploring the biogenic synthesis of metal nanoparticles. The aim of this review is to provide further insight in to connections between plant extracts and synthesis of copper NPs. The utilization of living plants for biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) is a cost-effective and eco-friendly procedure. To date, the obtained results demonstrated several aspects of the plant physiology and their relations to nanoparticle synthesis. This work describes the state of the art and future challenges in green synthesis of copper NPs. This review has proven recent elevation in the green synthesis of Cu NPs, CuO NPs, Cu₂ O NPs, CuS NPs, CuAl₂ O₄ and immobilized copper nanoparticles on the numerous supports such as Natrolite, bentonite, perlite, ZnO, MgO, MnO₂ , reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and Fe₃ O₄ by a wide range of plant extracts. Therefore, detailed description of green synthesis and stabilizing agents concerning copper nanoparticles using these green sources is presented. Also, the catalytic activities of synthesized Cu-based recyclable nanocatalysts using various plant extracts in several chemical reactions such as oxidation, reduction, hydration, cyanation, cycloaddition, and coupling reactions were consciously investigated.