Facile preparation of Cu-Fe oxide nanoplates for ammonia borane decomposition and tandem nitroarene hydrogenation.

A facile substrate involved strategy was used to prepare Cu-Fe LDO (layered double oxide) nanoplates. The material exhibited good-efficiency for decomposition of ammonia borane (AB) in alkaline methanol solution. Significantly, the material also demonstrated excellent catalytic performance in the reduction of various nitroarenes by coupling with AB hydrolysis in a one pot tandem reaction, and gave excellent yields of the corresponding amine products.