Special direct route for efficient transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes at room temperature by monatomic Zr tuned α-Fe2O3

Tuning the surface structure of an Fe-based catalyst for transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes at near room temperature

An Fe3C-based catalyst was fabricated via a facile template-free route. Owing to surface structure modulation, optimal FeNC800 presented well-dispersed Fe3C on N-doped carbon, the highest surface area, a mesoporous structure, most defects and maximum surface content of Fe. As a result, FeNC800 exhibited distinguished catalytic performance for transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes with hydrazine hydrate at near room temperature.

Cherry tree gum-derived silver/microporous carbon: Reduction of nitroaromatic compounds by microwave-assisted reaction

In this study, a silver/microporous carbon (Ag@MC) nanocomposite was synthesized using cherry tree gum as a carbon precursor via a hydrothermal method. The catalytic performance of Ag@MC was evaluated for the reduction of nitroaromatic derivatives under solvent-free and microwave-assisted conditions, achieving yields higher than 90 % in just 5 min, significantly shorter than many comparable studies. Comprehensive characterization confirmed the structure and stability of Ag@MC, with silver nanoparticles effectively trapped within its microporous matrix. The nanocomposite demonstrated excellent reusability, maintaining high catalytic activity over six cycles, thereby adhering to green chemistry principles. These findings highlight the potential of using sustainable natural polymers for high-efficiency catalytic applications.

Unlocking the catalytic potential of heterogeneous nonprecious metals for selective hydrogenation reactions

Selective hydrogenation has been employed extensively to produce value-added chemicals and fuels, greatly alleviating the problems of fossil resources and green synthesis. However, the design and synthesis of highly efficient catalysts, especially those that are inexpensive and abundant in the earth's crust, is still required for basic research and subsequent industrial applications. In recent years, many studies have revealed that the rational design and synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts can efficaciously improve the catalytic performance of hydrogenation reactions. However, the relationship between nonprecious metal catalysts and hydrogenation performance from the perspective of different catalytic systems still remains to be understood. In this review, we provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of the recent advances in the synthesis of nonprecious metal catalysts for heterogeneous selective hydrogenation reactions including thermocatalytic hydrogenation/transfer hydrogenation, photocatalytic hydrogenation and electrocatalytic reduction. In addition, we also aim to provide a clear picture of the recent design strategies and proposals for the nonprecious metal catalysed hydrogenation reactions. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future research opportunities for the precise design and synthesis of nonprecious metal catalysts for selective hydrogenation reactions.

Highly Efficient Iron-Based Catalyst for Light-Driven Selective Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes

Light-driven hydrogenation of nitro compounds to functionalized amines is of great importance yet a challenge for practical applications, which calls for the development of high-performance, nonprecious photocatalysts and efficient catalytic systems. Herein, we report a high-efficiency Fe3O4@TiO2 photocatalyst via a sol-gel and subsequent pyrolysis strategy, which exhibits desirable photothermal hydrogenation performance of nitro compounds to functionalized amines with the excellent selectivity of >90% exceeding those of the state-of-the-art heterogeneous photocatalysts. Our experimental results and theoretical calculations for the first time reveal that Fe3O4 is the major active phase, and the strong metal-support interaction between Fe3O4 and reducible TiO2 further leads to performance improvement, taking advantage of the enhanced photothermal effect and the improved adsorption for the reactant and hydrazine hydrate. Notably, a variety of halonitrobenzenes and pharmaceutical intermediates can be completely converted to functionalized amines with high selectivities, even in gram-scale reactions. This work provides a new insight into the rational design of nonprecious photo/thermo-catalysts for other catalytic reactions.