Flow hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol with nano-Ag/Al2O3†
Abstract
Herein, we report the first continuous-flow hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol with molecular hydrogen, as a reducing agent. This reaction converts a known pollutant into a high value product with only water as a by product, which is also the solvent. We employed Ag nanoparticles (<5 nm) supported on alumina, which were synthesized directly on low surface area alumina, avoiding the need for catalyst post-processing to confer the required nominal size for flow applications.