Palladium supported on metal–organic framework as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes under mild conditions

Sustainable development demands an environmentally friendly and efficient method for the hydrogenation of organic molecules, including the hydrogenation of functionalized nitroarenes. In this study, a highly active and selective metal–organic framework-supported palladium catalyst was prepared for the catalytic hydrogenation of nitroarenes. High selectivity (>99%) and excellent yield (98%) of aniline were realized after 2 hours in ethanol under hydrogen (1 atm) at room temperature. The reductions were successfully carried out in the presence of a wide range of other reducible functional groups. More importantly, the catalyst was very stable without the loss of its catalytic activity after five cycles.