Amino-functionalized CuFe2O4 supported Pd nanoparticles as magnetically catalyst for H2 production from methanolysis of ammonia borane and hydrogenation of nitro aromatics

Abstract

Small and equally distributed Pd nanoparticles (NPs) are tightly anchored on the surface of magnetic and amino (–NH2) functionalized CuFe2O4 to obtain magnetically separable CuFe2O4–NH2@Pd catalyst with core-shell structure. Compared to the inherent catalytic activity of CuFe2O4, the catalytic performance of CuFe2O4–NH2@Pd for dehydrogenation of ammonia-borane (AB) and concurrent hydrogenation of different nitro aromatics by H2 generated from AB methanolysis can be boosted more effectively than that of CuFe2O4@Pd, which is the control catalyst and is prepared by loading Pd NPs on pristine CuFe2O4. As electron donating groups, the –NH2 groups covalently bonded to the surface of CuFe2O4 play vital roles in stabilizing Pd NPs, providing strong metal-support interaction and rendering enhanced catalytic activity. However, we find that the catalytic performance of CuFe2O4, CuFe2O4@Pd and CuFe2O4–NH2@Pd for the hydrogenation reduction of mercapto-substituted nitro aromatics (p-nitrothiophenol, p-NTP) is far inferior to that for the reduction of nitroarenes that do not contain a sulfur substituent. Therefore, it is quite essential to research and develop the new-type catalysts with more excellent catalytic performance.