Green synthesis of the copper nanoparticles supported on bentonite and investigation of its catalytic activity

In this study, we reported a cost effective and environment friendly technique for the synthesis of the copper nanoparticles supported on bentonite (bentonite/Cu NPs) using Thymus vulgaris L leaf extract as a mild, renewable and non-toxic reducing agent and efficient stabilizer without adding any surfactants. The catalytic performance of the catalyst was examined for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and Congo red (CR) in aqueous medium at room temperature using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the source of hydrogen, which indicated that the composite had an excellent catalytic activity, convenient reusability and long-term stability for the reduction of organic dyes. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.