Tailoring of Cu@Graphitic Carbon Nanostructures Enables the Selective Detection of Copper Ions and Highly Efficient Catalysis of Organic Pollutants

Exploitation of plasmonic nanomaterials with high efficiency and selectivity presents the most significant challenge for their potential applications. A one‐step arc discharge to synthesize graphitic carbon‐encapsulated copper nanomaterials (Cu@G NMs) functionalized with nitrogen‐containing groups uniformly is reported. Combined with the temporal optical emission spectra, it is found that the NH3 introduces H radicals to tailor the core/shell nanostructures of Cu@G NMs inducing the morphological evolution from spherical nanoparticles (NPs) to linear nanowires (NWs), as well as provides dissociated nitrogen‐containing species (amino N, pyridinic N, pyrrolic N, and quaternary N) to construct the surface nanoarchitectures. With a localized surface plasmon resonance‐based method, the trace Cu2+ ions can be detected rapidly with excellent sensitivity (as low as 10 × 10−6 m linearly) and selectivity against other metal ions by Cu@G NPs in water samples. Moreover, remarkably enhanced catalytic activities for the reduction of aromatic organic pollutants (i.e., 4‐nitrophenol, methylene blue, and methyl orange) are also achieved by Cu@G NWs. This strategy enables the synergistic integration of efficient/selective adsorption capability of graphene shells and plasmonic/catalytic multifunctions of Cu cores in Cu@G platform, exhibiting a great potential in environmental monitoring and management.