Fabrication of Homogeneous Non-Noble Metal Nanoparticles within Metal–Organic Framework Nanosheets for Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol

Compared with noble metal nanoparticles (MNPs), non-noble MNPs possess obvious advantages owing to their abundant reserves on the earth and low cost. Therefore, the synthesis of small and highly active non-noble MNPs is desirable in practice. With the merits of metal–organic framework (MOF) nanosheets, we develop a novel and facile in situ reduction strategy for the incorporating of ultrasmall and homogeneous Ni NPs within NMOF-Ni, where the self Ni(II) metal ion nodes are partly reduced to metallic Ni(0) atoms by the reducing agent of aqueous NaBH4 under ambient conditions. The as-synthesized Ni/NMOF-Ni-0.4 behaves as an ideal catalyst for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol, with high efficiency and selectivity as well as good recyclability, arising from the ultrasmall and monodisperse Ni NPs, as well as 2D MOF nanosheet carriers. Strikingly, the straightforward strategy has been successfully applicable to fabricating Co/NMOF-Co-0.4, illustrating that the in situ reduction method might be facile and effective for producing MNPs/MOFs. This work represents a rare report about fabrication of MNPs/MOFs based on an in situ reduction approach without impregnation of additional metal precursors.