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Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Protocol for the Synthesis of Ortho-trifluoromethoxylated Aniline Derivatives
Published on: January 19, 2016
Coupling Fe-Co atomic pair to promote the selective reduction of nitroaromatics under mild conditions
Li Gong1, Leben Qiu1, Xiaoqian Xing1
1College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Selectively reducing nitroaromatics into aromatic amines will not only remove nitroaromatic pollutants in waste effluents to reduce environmental risks, but also yield important feedstocks for chemical industrial manufactures. In this study, a FeCo-co-embedded N-doped Carbon (FeCo-N-C) catalyst with Fe-Co atomic pair has been identified with favorable activity, superior selectivity, excellent reusability, as well as outstanding performance in the treatment of real water. The combined results from theoretical study and experimental tests indicate that the improved catalytic performance of FeCo-N-C is owing to the narrowed band gap and electron delocalization caused by the Fe-Co atomic pair which can improve electron transport in its catalytic reaction. The results of isotope experiments and H* quenching experiments confirm that H2O is the source of hydrogen in catalytic reduction of PNP. FeCo-N-C is identified as a superior catalyst to replace multitudinous currently used noble-metal catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction of nitroaromatics in wastewater treatment.
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