Highly crystalline amine functionalized Zr-UiO-66 supported Pd nanoparticles for catalytic transfer hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline in aqueous medium

초록

Anilines are key intermediates in the production of agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and pigments. Traditionally, preparation of aniline relies on the homogeneous hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in presence of a solvent and/or ligand. Heterogeneous methods have also been developed for ease of catalyst separation and recyclability, in which search for a facile and ecofriendly procedure that avoids the use of toxic solvents and hazardous molecular hydrogen (H2) has gained particular interest. Catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH), by employing hydrogen donors, e.g., formic acid is operationally simple and can avoid the use of molecular hydrogen or high pressure autoclave equipment. Metal?organic frameworks are emerging as important functional materials for gas storage, separation and catalysis owing to their high surface area, porosity and chemical tunability. Herein, we report the synthesis of well dispersed Pd nanoparticles on amine functionalized zirconium UiO-66 for efficient CTH of nitrobenzene (NB) to aniline (AN) using formic acid as hydrogen source in water medium under mild conditions.