Fabrication of recyclable magnetic Fe3O4–SiO2–Cu2O/Cu core–shell nano-catalyst for high-efficient reduction of aromatic nitro compound

Magnetic core–shell nanomaterial Fe 3 O 4 –SiO 2 –Cu 2 O/Cu was first successfully synthesized using an economical strategy. Using Fe 3 O 4 as a magnetic center for easy recycling and SiO 2 as the connecting layer, Cu elements were evenly and steadily distributed on the surface of the Fe 3 O 4 –SiO 2 –Cu 2 O/Cu core–shell nanostructure. The magnetic catalyst performed outstanding catalytic reduction activity for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and the complete catalytic reduction of 4-NP was achieved within only 5 min. What’s more, the catalyst could be well recycled, and the catalytic efficiency remained more than 90% after being reused 24 times. Graphical abstract