Metal–Organic Framework (MOF)‐Derived Electron‐Transfer Enhanced Homogeneous PdO‐Rich Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> as a Highly Efficient Bifunctional Catalyst for Sodium Borohydride Hydrolysis and 4‐Nitrophenol Reduction
Shasha Dou, Shuqing Zhou, Hexiu Huang, Puxuan Yan, Elvis Shoko, Tayirjan Taylor Isimjan, Xiulin Yang
Abstract
Abstract Developing a bifunctional catalyst with low cost and high catalytic performance in NaBH 4 hydrolysis for H 2 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 Co 3 O 4 polyhedral catalyst (PdO‐Co 3 O 4 ) with concave structure is reported by using a metal–organic framework (MOF)‐templated synthesis method. The results show that the PdO‐Co 3 O 4 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 H 2 generation from NaBH 4 hydrolysis. Moreover, the optimized catalyst also shows excellent catalytic performance in the NaBH 4 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 Co 3 O 4 species, which result in a large specific surface area, high conductivity, and fast solute transport and gas emissions.