Palladium nanoparticles supported on core-shell and yolk-shell Fe3O4@ nitrogen doped carbon cubes as a highly efficient, magnetically separable catalyst for the reduction of nitroarenes and the oxidation of alcohols

S.K. Movahed, N.F. Lehi, M. Dabiri* (2018) Journal of Catalysis 364, 69-79.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2018.05.003

Abstract

The preparation of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) supported on Fe₃O₄@nitrogen doped carbon (N-C) core-shell (C-S) and yolk–shell (Y-S) nanostructures is reported. The Fe₃O₄@N-C@Pd C-S nanostructures were synthesized by two different methods. The first method included two steps: (i) the annealing treatment of the Fe₂O₃@polydopamine (PDA) under a gas mixture of Ar/H₂ flow and (ii) the decorating Pd NPs on the surface of annealed structures by sodium borohydride as a reducing reagent. The second method, the in-situ reduction of Fe₂O₃ and Pd²⁺ in the structure of Fe₂O₃@PDA@Pd²⁺ by annealing treatment under H₂ flow as a reducing reagent led to Fe₃O₄@N-C@Pd C-S nanostructure. Additionally, the Y-S nanostructures were synthesized by using a HCl solution as an effective etching reagent to the partially etch the Fe₃O₄. Four types of Pd-based catalysts were tested in the selective reduction of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) to p-aminophenol (p-AP). Different catalytic activities were obtained through these catalysts. Furthermore, the reduction of nitroarenes and the oxidation of benzylic alcohols were also studies.