Ni–Cu bimetallic nanocatalyst stabilized on magnetic nanoparticles for reduction of nitroarenes and one-pot C–N cross-coupling reactions

Abstract

In the present study, the catalytic reduction of nitroaromatic compounds to amino compounds is evaluated using a heterogeneous recoverable bimetallic nanocatalyst, Fe3O4@SiO2@OERT-Ni-Cu. FE-SEM, TEM, TGA, VSM, XRD, and FT-IR analyses were employed to characterize the structural and morphological properties of the resulting nanocatalyst. The bimetallic nanocatalyst, developed through a cost-effective and environmentally friendly process, demonstrated excellent performance in the reduction of nitro compounds and carbon-nitrogen coupling reactions. Notably, using water as a green solvent, short reaction times (≤2 h), high product yields, and the ease of catalyst recovery and reuse are important advantages of this effective approach. Furthermore, the reusability of the Fe3O4@SiO2@OERT-Ni-Cu bimetallic nanocatalyst was confirmed through seven consecutive runs without any significant loss of catalytic activity in the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds. The high performance of the nanocatalyst is attributed to the synergistic effect between the two metals, nickel and copper.