Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become one of the most important materials in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology because of their exceptional properties that make them suitable for many potential applications as breakthrough materials for energy storage, electronics and catalysis.  CNTs have been extensively used as supports for various nanoparticles such as TiO₂, SiO₂, Fe₃O₄, CdS, Au, Pd, Pt, and Ag.

Among various metal oxide particles, increasing attention has been focused on copper and copper oxide nanoparticles due to the redox chemistry, extraordinary electrical, thermal, catalytic properties. Our interest in this work is the deposition of copper oxide nanoparticles on oxygen-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) for catalysis. Deposition was performed using two salts of copper, namely: copper (I) phenyl acetylide and copper (II) acetate monohydrate. MWNTs are oxygen-functionalized by different oxidizing agents such as KMnO₄, HNO₃, and 3:1 H₂SO₄ and HNO₃. The oxidized CNTs have been characterized by XPS and TEM to know the extent of oxidation and the structural stability of the CNTs after the treatment.

Different methods have been followed to deposit copper oxide nanoparticles on oxidized MWNTs such as impregnation, mechano-chemical and polyol process. They have been characterized by TEM, XPS, FE-SEM and XRD. Our studies have shown that copper oxide nanoparticles are homogeneously decorated on the MWNTs. We have succeeded in decorating copper oxide nanoparticles on MWNTs in the range of 20 to 80nm. In some cases even smaller copper oxide nanoparticles are seen, moreover the deposition has been observed to be homogeneous.

Preliminary experiments on the prepared catalysts have indicated catalytic activity in N-formylation reactions.

Acknowledgments. FUNDP and the FNRS for the financial support

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