Oxygen vacancy-rich WO3-x/rGO composite supported Pd catalyst for efficient selective hydrogenation of nitroaromatics

Abstract

The development of efficient catalysts for selective hydrogenation of nitroaromatics to corresponding aromatic amines has significant application requirement. In this study, a novel and effective catalyst was prepared by anchoring Pd nanoparticles on oxygen vacancy-rich tungsten oxide (WO3−x) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite support (Pd-WO3−x/rGO). Owing to the strong metal support interaction (SMSI), which can significantly regulate the d-electronic structure of Pd, the Pd-WO3−x/rGO catalyst showed remarkable catalytic activity and selectivity for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics. Under the reaction conditions of 100 °C and 1 MPa H2, a 100 % yield was achieved for the selective hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene to p-chloroaniline. The catalyst also delivered excellent reusability, which can be readily recycled for at least 10 times without significant loss of activity. This work provide a feasible avenue for the construction of high-performance catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and beyond.