<p>The combination of copper and cobalt in the mixed metal oxides phase attracted considerable interest owing to their distinct characteristics and wide-ranging applications across various domains. In this study, we adopt a facile co-precipitation approach to prepare the hollow carbon spheres (HCSs) embedded with CuCo₂O₄ nanoparticles to enhance the catalytic activity. HCSs are prepared using a hydrothermal template method followed by the removal of the silica template. The resulting CuCo₂O₄ and HCSs are characterized by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis to ensure structural integrity and composition. Then, the CuCo₂O₄ nanoparticle is doped on the porous structure of HCSs using a surface loading method and used as a catalyst for the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone. The scope is extended using various substrates without a hydrogen source. This nano-catalytic system shows better yields in mild reaction conditions. There was no leaching of the material into the reaction system even after five cycles, thus confirmed by ICP-MS.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>