Metal-Organic Framework on Fullerene (MOFOF) Derived Coanchored Hierarchical Carbon Nanocomposite for Catalytic Nitroarene Reduction

Abstract

The catalytic reduction of nitroarenes to anilines is vital in industrial and environmental chemistry for the production of pharmaceuticals, dyes, agrochemicals, and polymers. However, traditional catalysts often struggle with issues related to activity, stability, and reusability. This study introduces a novel method for synthesizing a Co-anchored hierarchical carbon nanocomposite derived from a newly architected metal-organic framework (MOF) on fullerene (MOFOF) composite. The method involves in-situ growth of MOF (ZIF-67) on a surface-modified self-assembled fullerene nanotube (FNTox) with varying Co²⁺ /C₆₀ ratios (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0), followed by pyrolysis under a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting nanohybrids, particularly Co@HC-1.0 derived from MOFOF-1.0 with a Co²⁺ /C₆₀ ratio of 1.0, demonstrated exceptional catalytic performance for nitroarene reduction, exhibiting high activity and reusability. Characterization techniques, including SEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen sorption isotherms, confirmed the structural and morphological stability of the composites. The Co@HC-1.0 catalyst demonstrated superior, highly competitive catalytic performance, achieving a reaction rate constant of 9.25×10^-1 min^-1 and a TOF of 486 h^-1 , with significant retention of performance across multiple cycles, highlighting its potential for various synthetic applications.