Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Nitro Compounds by MoS2 via Introduction of Independent Active Hydrogen-Donating Sites

The chemoselective hydrogenation of nitro compounds is limited by a trade-off between the activity and selectivity of catalysis. It is found that MoS2-based catalysts can replace noble metals to achieve nearly 100% selectivity toward hydrogenation to aromatic amines. However, the insufficient supply of active hydrogen (Ha) limits the conversion to a low level. To break the trade-off between activity and selectivity, a dual-active site catalyst was designed using exfoliated MoS2 as a support and modifying it with single-atom Pt as independent, active hydrogen-donating sites. Isolated Pt atoms continuously provide Ha to the hydrogenation sites of MoS2. This strategy solves the problem of insufficient Ha supply, which is caused by the competitive adsorption of nitro groups and hydrogen on MoS2, by matching the rate of Ha production and Ha consumption, resulting in a greatly increased reaction rate.