Mo2N as a high-efficiency catalyst for transfer hydrogenation of nitrobenzene using stoichiometric hydrazine hydrate

Abstract

A straightforward and commonly-used approach of direct pyrolysis for the preparation of molybdenum nitride (Mo2N) is conducted via reduction of MoO3 under ammonia atmosphere. The as-synthesized Mo2N catalyst demonstrated high activity for transfer hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, giving a 99% aniline yield at near-room temperature of 30 °C within only 50 min. More significantly, the amount of the hydrogen donor hydrazine monohydrate (N2H4·H2O) can be limited to stoichiometric molar ratio (-NO2: N2H4·H2O = 1: 1.5), preventing the possible generation of hazardous NH3, which is seldom reported in previous protocols. Through various characterizations and control experiments, conclusively, the remarkable catalytic performance of Mo2N catalyst should be credited to the large quantity of Lewis-acidic Mo sites. This research might provide a practical approach to aromatic amines production.