Rh Nanoparticles-Decorated Graphene Oxide: an Efficient Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of Nitroaromatic Pollutants

Abstract

Amine-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-NH2) was prepared by synthesizing graphene oxide (GO) using the Hummer's method, followed by reacting with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). The obtained GO-NH2 was utilized for immobilizing and stabilizing Rh(0) nanoparticles (NPs) to create Rh@GO-NH2 material. The synthesized Rh@GO-NH2 material was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The results indicated that the Rh(0) NPs were successfully decorated on the GO-NH2 surface. The catalytic activity of Rh@GO-NH2 was examined for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatic compounds using NaBH4 as a reducing agent. Results demonstrated that Rh@GO-NH2 effectively catalyzed the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics into the corresponding aniline derivatives in aqueous media at a moderate temperature. Nitroaromatic compounds are considered high toxic water contaminants. The simple preparation of the catalyst, low catalyst loading, and the recoverability of the catalyst are some advantages of this work.