Metallic copper nanoparticle (Cu NP)-doped 1D hydroxyapatite was synthesized using a simple chemical reduction
method. To describe the structure and composition of the Cu/HAP nanocomposites, physicochemical techniques such as X-ray
diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma, N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used. The TEM scan of the Cu/HAP nanocomposite
revealed a rod-like shape with 308 nm length and 117 nm width on average. The catalytic activity of Cu/HAP nanocomposites for
the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in the presence of NaBH4 has been thoroughly investigated. The
0.7% Cu/HAP nanocomposite was shown to have superior catalytic activity than the other nanocomposites, converting 4-NP to 4-
AP in ∼1 min with good recyclability. Moreover, this nanocomposite showed excellent catalytic performance in the organic dye
reduction such as Congo red and acriflavine hydrochloride dyes. The high dispersion of Cu NPs on HAP support, the high specific
surface area, and the small Cu particles contributed to its remarkable catalytic performance.