A carboxylic acid functionalized SBA-15 supported Pd nanocatalyst: an efficient catalyst for hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline in water

Abstract

The catalytic performance of a Pd nanocatalyst derived from carboxylic acid functionalised SBA15 and palladium acetate has been investigated for the first time in the selective hydrogenation of nitrobenzene with hydrous hydrazine at room temperature in water medium. The nanocatalyst was characterized by N₂-physisorption, low-angle and wide-angle XRD, XPS, FT-IR and TEM techniques. The hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in various solvents was examined and a dramatic rate acceleration was found in water compared to that in conventional volatile organic solvents. The high dispersion of PdNPs on carboxylic acid functionalised SBA-15, high cohesive energy density of water and enforced hydrophobic interactions in the transition state may be the reasons behind the dramatic rate acceleration.