Tuning the surface structure of an Fe-based catalyst for transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes at near room temperature

Abstract

An Fe₃C-based catalyst was fabricated via a facile template-free route. Owing to surface structure modulation, optimal FeNC800 presented well-dispersed Fe₃C on N-doped carbon, the highest surface area, a mesoporous structure, most defects and maximum surface content of Fe. As a result, FeNC800 exhibited distinguished catalytic performance for transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes with hydrazine hydrate at near room temperature.