Highly selective reduction of nitro compounds catalyzed by MOF‐derived glucose stabilized Fe3O4 under mild conditions

Abstract BACKGROUND Today, studies on the catalytic reduction of nitroarenes and dyes are of crucial because nitroarenes, especially 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NPh) and dyes, which are considered important pollutants in wastewater, can pose risks to humans. It is noteworthy that amines are known as valuable intermediates in many industries, therefore, providing an efficient method to achieve these compounds is necessary to protect the environment. In this project, a magnetic MOFs‐based catalyst (containing Cu species as an active site) was found to offer a unique and cost‐effective route for the catalytic reduction of nitroarene and organic dyes. RESULTS In this study, a novel magnetic catalyst, Fe 3 O 4 @glu/Cu‐TAZ‐IMI, based on MOF was synthesized. The core‐shell structure of Fe 3 O 4 @glu, functionalized with aspartic acid with TAZ‐IMI and Cu(OAc) 2 , resulted in the formation of magnetic MOF structure. The structure of this new nanocomposite was identified by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray (SEM/EDX), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Value stream mapping (VSM), Raman spectroscopy and Inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES). The catalytic performance of the synthesized catalyst was evaluated for the reduction of nitro compounds and organic dyes, and the results were validated by Gas chromatography‐mass (GC–MS) and ultraviolet light (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. Moreover, the rate constants for the reduction of 4‐NPh, Congo red (CR), and Methylene blue (MB) followed pseudo first‐order kinetics model, which calculated values of 0.31 min −1 , 0.355 min −1 and 0.044 s −1 , respectively. CONCLUSION The catalytic efficacy of Fe 3 O 4 @glu/Cu‐TAZ‐IMI catalyst remained intact during the reduction of nitroarenes and organic dyes in aqueous and mild conditions. The findings demonstrate that this novel heterogeneous mesoporous catalyst exhibits exceptional catalytic activity and remarkable stability towards reduction reactions. Moreover, owning to its thermal and structural stability, the catalyst could be easily magnetically separated, recovered, and reused for up to 10 consecutive cycles without experiencing significant activity decline, effectively preventing the depletion of copper species from its structure. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.