Formates for green catalytic reductions via CO2 hydrogenation, mediated by magnetically recoverable catalysts.

Precious metal catalyst has been prepared by conventional wet impregnation method followed by precipitation and reduction with hydrogen finally passivated with water in air. The magnetically recoverable catalyst has been prepared starting from a stoichiometric Fe₃O₄ and ZrO₂-Fe₃O₄ as supports prepared following a sequential precipitation procedure. Precious metal catalysts supported on carbon, alumina, magnetite and zirconia-magnetite nanocomposite has been used in the reduction of nitrobenzenes and acetophenone by using sodium and potassium formate as reducing agent in the presence and in absence of an aqueous phase. In addition, the same catalysts has been tested in CO₂ and NaHCO₃ hydrogenation, for verifying their potentiality in the CO₂ as hydrogen carrier for hydrogenation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]