Pd nanoparticles decorated on chitosan functionalized graphene oxide as an efficient catalyst for reduction of nitroarenes in water

In this work, graphene oxide [1] was functionalized with chitosan (GO-Chit) [2]followed by a simple approach for immobilization of palladium nanoparticles onto a chitosan grafted graphene oxide surface. The Pd-nanocomposite (GO-Chit-Pd) was characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. GO-Chit- Pd was used as an efficient catalyst for the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds using sodium borohydride in water (Fig. 1). To achieve the best catalytic efficacy, various parameters such as temperature, solvent, mole ratio of hydrogen sources and the amount of catalyst, were optimized. The method has been applied to reduction of a broad range of nitroarenes with different properties. The easy purification, convenient operation, environmental friendliness, and high product yields render this method viable for use. The nano-catalyst can be easily separated and efficiently recovered and reused for multiple cycles without appreciable loss in its catalytic activity.