A review on synthetic methods and applications of carbon supported copper nanomaterials

Copper has been an attractive metal in chemistry especially since its abundance and its extraction has come into picture. While nano chemistry has been a powerful field today and carries lots of applications in various sectors, on the other hand, carbon and its allotropes being a useful element as a support material due to their high surface area, stability, and good thermal and electrical properties. Incorporating the nanoparticle on a support material positively enhances its physical and chemical properties. Combining the utility of all three, we herein review synthetic strategies and applications of carbon supported copper nanomaterials. We have discussed different methods of synthesis, and then moved on to their use as catalyst for different types of reactions where we also praised the nanomaterial for its reusability. Further, the use of CuNP@C as glucose sensor, as anticancer agent and as antibacterial agent against S. aureus and E. coli is also discussed. This review shall enable researchers to come up with better advancements in Cu based nanomaterials for various applications in future.