Modified electrodes: Utilizing Cu-modified graphene oxide nanosheets as a cathode in electro-oxidation synthesis of mild Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction under green and sustainable conditions

This study presents an eco-conscious approach to enhance the efficiency of the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. We first synthesized graphene oxide nanosheets using the Hummers method and then coated them to incorporate metallic copper on their surface. Following this, we conducted various analyses, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) identification, to characterize these modified nanosheets. Subsequently, we utilized Cu-modified graphene oxide nanosheets as cathode catalysts in an electro-oxidation synthesis setup. To verify the effectiveness of this novel approach, we utilized bromobenzene and phenylboronic acid as model substrates to synthesize biphenyl compounds. The reaction yielded impressive product yields ranging from 87% to 93%. Operating under environmentally friendly conditions, this electro-oxidation synthesis not only enhances selectivity but also significantly reduces the environmental impact of the reaction. Our findings highlight the potential of this green chemistry strategy, offering a promising avenue for sustainable and efficient organic synthesis, as evidenced by the successful coupling of bromobenzene and phenylboronic acid with consistently high yields.