Highly active and selective catalysis of bimetallic Rh₃Ni ₁ nanoparticles in the hydrogenation of nitroarenes

Because of the requirements of sustainable development as well as the desirability of using molecular hydrogen as a chemical reagent, it is of paramount importance and great challenge to develop highly active and selective catalysts for the hydrogenation of organic molecules, including substituted nitroarenes. We approach this question by probing unsupported bimetallic nanoparticles. A series of novel bimetallic Rh_xNi_y (x, y = 1, 2, 3) nanoparticles were successfully prepared using our "noble metal-induced reduction" strategy. Unsupported Rh₃Ni₁ nanoparticles were subsequently identified to be a highly active and exceedingly selective catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes under ambient conditions, underscoring a remarkable synergistic effect of the two metals. Further experiments showed that the Rh₃Ni₁ catalyst could be a highly efficient, selective, and recyclable catalyst for a range of nitroarene substrates. This work showcased the value of bimetallic nanoparticles in catalysts development for sustainable chemistry.