Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-Derived Electron-Transfer Enhanced Homogeneous PdO-Rich Co₃ O₄ as a Highly Efficient Bifunctional Catalyst for Sodium Borohydride Hydrolysis and 4-Nitrophenol Reduction

Developing a bifunctional catalyst with low cost and high catalytic performance in NaBH₄ hydrolysis for H₂ generation and selective reduction of nitroaromatics will make a significant impact in the field of sustainable energy and water purification. Herein, a low-loading homogeneously dispersed Pd oxide-rich Co₃ O₄ polyhedral catalyst (PdO-Co₃ O₄ ) with concave structure is reported by using a metal-organic framework (MOF)-templated synthesis method. The results show that the PdO-Co₃ O₄ catalyst has an exceptional turnover frequency (3325.6 mol_H2 min^-1 mol_Pd ^-1 ), low activation energy (43.2 kJ mol^-1 ), and reasonable reusability in catalytic H₂ generation from NaBH₄ hydrolysis. Moreover, the optimized catalyst also shows excellent catalytic performance in the NaBH₄ selective reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminiphenol with a high first-order reaction rate of approximately 1.31 min^-1 . These excellent catalytic properties are mainly ascribed to the porous concave structure, monodispersed Pd oxide, as well as the unique synergy between PdO and Co₃ O₄ species, which result in a large specific surface area, high conductivity, and fast solute transport and gas emissions.