The development of cost-effective and sustainable catalysts is crucial for replacing noble-metal systems in selective organic transformations. Here, the present work addresses a green and scalable route for the synthesis of graphene-supported iron oxide (G-FeO) nanocomposites via a simple impregnation-calcination method. The resulting nanocomposite consists of uniformly dispersed FeO nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of ∼9–10 nm, strongly anchored onto graphene sheets. Comprehensive characterization using UV–Vis, FTIR, TEM, XRD, SEM/EDS, and XPS confirmed nanoscale crystallinity, robust Fe-graphene bonding, and the coexistence of mixed-valence Fe2+/Fe3+ states. Catalytic performance was evaluated in the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol under ambient air. The G-FeO catalyst achieved 94 % conversion and 98 % selectivity to benzaldehyde at 120 °C, far outperforming metal-free graphene and unsupported Fe oxides. Notably, the catalyst exhibited excellent durability, retaining >90 % of its activity over three successive cycles with negligible structural degradation, as confirmed by post-reaction analyses. The enhanced activity is attributed to the synergistic interplay between Fe2+/Fe3+ redox centres and graphene-mediated electron transport, which enables efficient oxygen activation and suppresses charge recombination. This study demonstrates that G-FeO nanocomposites provide a robust, recyclable, and environmentally benign alternative to noble-metal catalysts. Their simple synthesis, high efficiency, and strong structure-property correlation highlight their promise not only for selective oxidations but also for broader applications in green organic synthesis, energy conversion, and environmental remediation.
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