Reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using a novel Pd@NixB–SiO2/RGO nanocomposite: enhanced hydrogen spillover and high catalytic performance

Rahul Krishna; Diana M. Fernandes; Valdemar F. Domingos; Edivagner S. Ribeiro; João Campos Gil; Catarina Dias; João Ventura; Cristina Freire; Elby Titus

doi:10.1039/C5RA05523G

Reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using a novel Pd@Ni_xB–SiO₂/RGO nanocomposite: enhanced hydrogen spillover and high catalytic performance†

Rahul Krishna,^a Diana M. Fernandes,^b Valdemar F. Domingos,^c Edivagner S. Ribeiro,^d João Campos Gil,^d Catarina Dias,^e João Ventura,^e Cristina Freire^b and Elby Titus*^a

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* Corresponding authors

^a Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Portugal
E-mail: elby@ua.pt
Fax: +351-234370953
Tel: +351-234370830

^b REQUIMTE/LAQV, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal

^c LIP-Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3004-516, Portugal

^d CFisUC, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3004-516, Portugal

^e IFIMUP, IN – Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal

Abstract

A nanocomposite catalyst containing palladium–nickel boride–silica and reduced graphene oxide (Pd@Ni_xB–SiO₂/RGO, abbreviated as Pd@NSG) was successfully fabricated and its enhanced hydrogen spillover mechanism and high catalytic performance towards reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) is discussed. The structure, composition and morphology of the Pd@NSG nanocomposite were characterized by various techniques. The H₂ adsorption experiment directly reveals the spillover effect on the Pd@NSG nanocomposite and its enhanced H₂ uptake capacity (0.7 wt%) compared to SiO₂/RGO (0.05 wt%) under 50 bar pressure at RT. 4-NP reduction reaction shows remarkably high activity (120 s) of Pd@NSG compared to Ni_xB–SiO₂/RGO (7200 s) with excellent stability up to 5 cycles. Both the experiments showed the facile H₂ dissociation on the Pd (active sites) activator and subsequent transportation of hydrogen atoms on receptor sites.

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C5RA05523G
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 28 Mar 2015
Accepted: 06 Jul 2015
First published: 07 Jul 2015

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RSC Adv., 2015,5, 60658-60666

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Reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using a novel Pd@Ni_xB–SiO₂/RGO nanocomposite: enhanced hydrogen spillover and high catalytic performance

R. Krishna, D. M. Fernandes, V. F. Domingos, E. S. Ribeiro, J. C. Gil, C. Dias, J. Ventura, C. Freire and E. Titus, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 60658 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA05523G

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