Copper nanoparticles as inexpensive and efficient catalyst: A valuable contribution in organic synthesis

Copper nanoparticles have been explored as a new class of heterogeneous catalyst in various chemical transformations. This review surveys the most useful organic transformations which were carried out in the presence of copper nanoparticles as catalyst. Copper nanoparticle catalyzed reactions are advantageous over the conventional metal catalyzed reactions in terms of low catalyst loading, high atom economy, better yields, inexpensive, shorter reaction times and recyclability of the catalyst. From a mechanistic point of view, it has been shown that most of the transformations proceed via the formation of organometallic intermediates [C-Cu-X] during the interactions with copper nanoparticles.