Synthesis of an MXene supported Co nanoparticle catalyst for efficient catalytic transfer hydrogenation of nitro compounds with formic acid

This study introduces a novel catalyst designated as 2.6% Co/MXene, comprising cobalt (Co) nanoparticles supported by MXene. The synthesis of the 2.6% Co/MXene catalyst involved direct pyrolysis of a composite material, composed of a Co/Zn bimetal metal-organic framework and MXene. Catalytic transfer hydrogenation of functionalized nitro compounds into the corresponding formamides employed formic acid as both the hydrogen donor and formylation agent, demonstrating remarkable activity and selectivity. Control experiments validated that Co nanoparticles served as the active sites for reductive transformation. Systematic characterization and comprehensive experiments have confirmed that the superior catalytic performance of the 2.6% Co/MXene catalyst can be attributed to the uniform distribution of Co nanoparticles, a high density of basic sites, and the 3D porous architecture of the MXene support. Furthermore, the 2.6% Co/MXene catalyst exhibited excellent recyclability, preserving its catalytic activity and selectivity across four consecutive cycles. The developed 2.6% Co/MXene exhibited excellent catalytic performance for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of readily available nitroarenes employing HCOOH, leading to the specific generation of essential and versatile formamides.