Bio-inspired noble metal-free reduction of nitroarenes using NiS2+x/g-C3N4

Abstract

We introduce the concept of bio-inspired catalytic hydrogenation of nitroarenes by mimicking the catalytic behavior of enzymes with NiS_2+x nanoparticles and polymeric melon (g-C₃N₄). The g-C₃N₄-supported NiS_2+x nanoparticles functioned as ligand-free and noble metal-free catalysts and offered high efficiency, comparable to noble metal-based catalysts, but at a much better selectivity.