Heterogenized Bimetallic Pd–Pt–Fe₃O₄ Nanoflakes as Extremely Robust, Magnetically Recyclable Catalysts for Chemoselective Nitroarene Reduction

A very simple synthesis of bimetallic Pd-Pt-Fe3O4 nanoflake-shaped alloy nanoparticles (NPs) for cascade catalytic reactions such as dehydrogenation of ammonia-borane (AB) followed by the reduction of nitro compounds (R-NO2) to anilines or alkylamines (R-NH2) in methanol at ambient temperature is described. The Pd-Pt-Fe3O4 NPs were easily prepared via a solution phase hydrothermal method involving the simple one-pot coreduction of potassium tetrachloroplatinate (II) and palladium chloride (II) in polyvinylpyrrolidone with subsequent deposition on commercially available Fe3O4 NPs. The bimetallic Pd-Pt alloy NPs decorated on Fe3O4 NPs provide a unique synergistic effect for the catalysis of cascade dehydrogenation/reduction. Various nitroarene derivatives were reduced to anilines with very specific chemoselectivity in the presence of other reducible functional groups. The bimetallic Pd-Pt-Fe3O4 NPs provide a unique synergistic effect for the catalysis of cascade dehydrogenation/reduction. The nitro reduction proceeded in 5 min with nearly quantitative conversions and yields. Furthermore, the magnetically recyclable nanocatalysts were readily separated using an external magnet and reused up to 250 times without any loss of catalytic activity. A larger scale (10 mmol) reaction was also successfully performed with >99% yield. This efficient, recyclable Pd-Pt-Fe3O4 NPs system can therefore be repetitively utilized for the reduction of various nitro-containing compounds.