Reduction of nitroarenes catalyzed by microgel-stabilized silver nanoparticles

Robina Begum; Zahoor H Farooqi; Ahmed H Aboo; Ejaz Ahmed; Ahsan Sharif; Jianliang Xiao

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.05.080

Reduction of nitroarenes catalyzed by microgel-stabilized silver nanoparticles

J Hazard Mater. 2019 Sep 5:377:399-408. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.05.080. Epub 2019 May 28.

Authors

Robina Begum¹, Zahoor H Farooqi², Ahmed H Aboo³, Ejaz Ahmed⁴, Ahsan Sharif⁴, Jianliang Xiao⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK; Institute of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, New Campus Lahore, 54590, Pakistan; Centre for Undergraduate Studies, University of the Punjab, New Campus Lahore, 54590, Pakistan.
² Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK; Institute of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, New Campus Lahore, 54590, Pakistan. Electronic address: Z.Farooqi@liverpool.ac.uk.
³ Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK.
⁴ Institute of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, New Campus Lahore, 54590, Pakistan.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK. Electronic address: J.Xiao@liverpool.ac.uk.

PMID: 31176075
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.05.080

Abstract

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) (PNA-BIS-2) microgels were synthesized by free radical precipitation polymerization in aqueous medium. Spherical Ag nanoparticles with diameter of 10-20 nm were fabricated inside the PNA-BIS-2 microgels by in-situ reduction of silver nitrate using sodium borohydride as reducing agent. The Ag nanoparticles- loaded hybrid microgels were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV Visible), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Ag contents in the hybrid system were determined by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Various nitroarenes were successfully converted into their respective aromatic amines with good to excellent yields (ranging from 75% to 97%) under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst has ability to successfully convert substituted nitroarenes into desired products keeping many functionalities intact. The catalyst can be stored for long time without any sign of aggregation and can be used multiple times without any significant loss in its catalytic activity.

Keywords: Ag nanoparticles; Aryl amines; Catalytic reduction; Nitroarenes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't