Pt–NH₂–Fe₃O₄ Catalyst with Excellent Catalytic Performance for Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes in Aqueous Medium

Abstract

Catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds was carried out in neat water with Pt nanoparticles deposited on surface amine-functionalized magnetite. The hydrophilic Pt–NH₂–Fe₃O₄ catalyst exhibited excellent activity as well as superior selectivity to the corresponding amines. 99.9% yield of p-chloroaniline (p-CAN) was obtained at 303 K under an H₂ atmosphere in aqueous media; the turnover frequency value reached 500 h⁻¹ in the absence of any additives or promoters. Furthermore, the novel nanocomposites can be readily isolated from the reaction system by a magnet and recycled at least six times without any loss in activity.

Keywords:

• amine
• hydrogenation
• nitroarene
• platinum catalyst, water