Metal–Organic Framework-Derived Ceria-Supported Ni–Co Alloy Nanocatalysts for Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes

Metal–organic framework (MOF)-templated strategy is an effective route to fabricate nanocatalysts for heterogeneous catalytic reactions. In this work, a coordination-evaporation-calcination (CEC) strategy was developed to synthesize a ceria (CeO2)-supported Ni–Co alloy catalyst (termed Ni–Co/CeO2-CEC) from a quaternary MOF (named as Ni–Co–Zn–Ce–H2salen) designed by metalloligand strategy. The Ni–Co–Zn–Ce–H2salen and its cross-bridging Zn2+ ions simultaneously acted as self-sacrificing templates because of their thermal decomposition and evaporation at high-temperature (800 °C) pyrolysis process, which could facilitate the formation of bimetallic Ni–Co alloy with high dispersity and strengthen the Ni–Co–CeO2 interaction, as well as the high concentration of oxygen vacancy defects. These unique advantages endow Ni–Co/CeO2-CEC with outstanding catalytic activity and yield for the hydrogenation process compared with Ni–Co/CeO2–CC (prepared by coordination-calcination method) and Ni–Co/CeO2-IWI (prepared by incipient wetness impregnation) catalysts, as well as good recyclability. We anticipate that this CEC strategy designed by Ce–H2salen metalloligand will provide a way for synthesizing other efficient and low-cost supported catalysts for catalytic reactions.