3D-foam-structured nitrogen-doped graphene-Ni catalyst for highly efficient nitrobenzene reduction

We report the preparation of a porous 3D-foam-structured nitrogen-doped graphene-Ni (NG/NF) catalyst and the evaluation of its performance in the reduction of nitrobenzene (NB) through detailed studies of the kinetics. The NG/NF catalyst showed a significantly higher reaction rate than pure Ni foam (NF). Moreover, the separation of the 3D-foam-structured catalyst from the products was more convenient than that of NG powdered catalysts. The obtained kinetics data fit well to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model, with an error ratio below 10%. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that the adsorption of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) on the NG/NF surface was stronger than that of NB, which strongly agreed with the kinetic parameters determined from the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The excellent catalytic efficiency of the 3D-foam-structured catalyst combined with the knowledge of the kinetics data make this catalyst promising for application in larger scale nitrobenzene reduction. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2017