Pd nanoparticles decorated N-doped holey graphene assembled on aluminum silicate fibers agglomerate for catalytic continuous-flow reduction of nitroarenes

Abstract

Rational design and preparation of efficient fixed-bed catalysts for continuous-flow system are highly desired but remain daunting challenges. Herein, we report the synthesis of an assembly catalyst consisted of aluminium silicate fibers (ASFs) agglomerate and Pd nanoparticles (PdNP) decorated N-doped holey graphene (NHG) through a facile hydrothermal co-assembling strategy. Due to the interconnect network and porous structure, the as-obtained PdNP/NHG-ASFs assembly is suitable to be utilized as a fixed-bed catalyst for organic reactions in continuous-flow mode. The processing rate is much higher than that of the previously reported fixed-bed systems based on metal-based catalysts. In addition, the catalytic continuous-flow system displays a remarkable durability and good substrate generality to other substituted nitrobenzenes. This work provides rational design concept for efficient fixed-bed catalyst with dual active components and paves a way for the industrial application in organic synthesis.