Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 6, 2025

HKUST-1 as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of Vanillin
Published on: July 23, 2016
Bifunctional metal-organic frameworks for the hydrogenation of nitrophenol using methanol as the hydrogen source
Arianna Melillo1, Cristina García-Vallés1, Belén Ferrer1
1Departamento de Química, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia 46022, Spain. sernaol@doctor.upv.es hgarcia@qim.upv.es.
Abstract:
This work reports the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using UiO-66(Zr) as a bifunctional photocatalyst and hydrogenation catalyst using methanol as the hydrogen source. In particular, a series of UiO-66(Zr)-X (X: NH2, NO2 and H) and MIL-125(Ti)-NH2 catalysts have been screened as bifunctional catalysts for this process. UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 was found to be the most active material to promote light-assisted nitro hydrogenation under both UV-Vis and simulated sunlight irradiation. The tandem reaction occurs via hydrogen generation from a water/methanol mixture in the first step and, then, reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 acts as a truly heterogeneous catalyst and can be reused several times without significant loss of activity, maintaining its crystallinity. This work shows the possibility of using MOFs as solar-driven bifunctional catalysts to promote the hydrogenation of organic compounds using methanol as the hydrogen source.
More Related Videos
06:45Author Spotlight: Characterizing Porous Materials for Aiding the Development of Robust Metal-Organic Frameworks with Adsorption Behavior
Published on: March 8, 2024
08:40Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Oximes and Nitro Compounds
Though catalytic hydrogenation can reduce nitrobenzenes, the reduction is nonselective in the presence of other functional groups. For instance, if nitrobenzene contains an aldehyde group,...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Nitration of Benzene
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes