Biomolecule-derived porous N-doped carbon nanofiber supported cobalt nanoparticles for mild aerobic oxidative coupling of thiols

Abstract

The straightforward fabrication of metal nanocatalysts supported on hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (M/N-CNFs) using renewable biomolecules offers great promise due to their notable versatility and sustainability. In this study, we present a method for preparing cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) encapsulated within graphitic shells of hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers via electrospinning technology using a renewable biomolecule. The as-fabricated Co/N-CNF nanocomposites exhibit a BET surface area of 262.5 m² g⁻¹, a high pore volume and meso-micro hierarchical porous structures with the average pore diameter from 4 to 12 nm. The materials display excellent activity and selectivity in the oxidative self-coupling of a variety of thiols to disulfides with air or molecular oxygen as an oxidant. Furthermore, the catalyst Co/N-CNFs exhibits high activity and good substrate adaptability in the catalytic cross-coupling of thiols.