Biomass chitosan-derived nitrogen-doped carbon modified with iron oxide for the catalytic ammoxidation of aromatic aldehydes to aromatic nitriles

Abstract

Nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts have attracted increasing research attention due to several advantages for catalytic application. Herein, cost-effective, renewable biomass chitosan was used to prepare a N-doped carbon modified with iron oxide catalyst (Fe2O3@NC) for nitrile synthesis. The iron oxide nanoparticles were uniformly wrapped in the N-doped carbon matrix to prevent their aggregation and leaching. Fe2O3@NC-800, which was subjected to carbonization at 800 °C, exhibited excellent activity, selectivity, and stability in the catalytic ammoxidation of aromatic aldehydes to aromatic nitriles. This study may provide a new method for the fabrication of an efficient and cost-effective catalyst system for synthesizing nitriles.