High performance and ultrafast reduction of 4-nitrophenol using metal-organic frameworks

Organic pollutants such as 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) exhibited a negative impact on human health and the environment of a biological system. Thus, several catalysts have been reported to mitigate the toxicity of 4-NP via the reduction to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). Furthermore, the reduction process is important for the synthesis of amine compounds as intermediate for several industrial sectors. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized using a surfactant-assisted solvothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the formation of crystalline material. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) image showed 2D MOF with a thickness of 100−150 nm. Data analysis reveals the successful formation of a high crystalline phase of MOF with the morphology of 2D nanoscale. The synthesis procedure is simple and requires no expensive reagents or special equipment. The catalytic performance of the prepared material was examined for the reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP. The material exhibited ultrafast (2 min) catalytic performance with a complete reduction (conversion 100 %) without an induction period. The simple synthesis procedure besides the high catalytic performance of the prepared material endows the potential of 2D MOF for further applications including catalysis.