Quasi-homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation over monodisperse nickel and cobaltnanoparticles

Abstract

Here, nearly monodisperse nanoparticles of nickel and cobalt with spherical morphologieswere successfully synthesized using a solvothermal process. Hydrogenation of nitrobenzenewas selected as a model reaction, and the nickel colloids exhibited excellent catalyticactivity and stability. The ferromagnetic property of the nickel nanoparticles provided aconvenient route for separating the catalyst from the reaction system in an appliedmagnetic field. The nickel colloids demonstrate the character of quasi-homogeneouscatalysts because they have the advantages of both homogeneous and heterogeneouscatalysts, such as high activity and easy separation for re-use, suggesting that they may besuitable for industrial application.