NiOBDP and Ni/NiOBDP catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone and 4-nitrophenol

Abstract

The NiOBDP and Ni/NiOBDP composites obtained by calcination of NiBDP MOF (MOF = metal–organic framework; BDP = 1,4-Bis(pyrazol-4-yl)benzene) in air at 700 °C were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), TEM (Transmission electron microscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and Raman spectroscopy. Both nanocatalysts presented high activity in selective transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone (APh) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in mild conditions, using 2-propanol/NaOH or NaBH4/H2O as reducing agents. In both reactions, the catalytic activity of Ni/NiOBDP was higher compared to NiOBDP suggesting the participation of Ni(0) in the hydrogenation process.