PdO/CuO Nanoparticles on Zeolite-Y for Nitroarene Reduction and Methanol Oxidation

Selective reduction of various nitroarenes to amines was achieved up to 93% under autoclave condition in isopropanol using catalytic amount of palladium oxide/copper oxide (PdO/CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) supported on mesoporous zeolite-Y, PdO/CuO-Y. The catalyst was also found to be highly effective for one-pot cascade synthesis of the 3,3′-diaminobiphenyl from 3-nitrophenylboronic acid (NPBA). The hybridization of PdO/CuO-Y with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) resulted in a highly effective and durable electrocatalyst for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The mass activity of the electrocatalyst was found to be 690 A/g and was stable for 4000 s. The catalytic activity of the PdO/CuO-Y catalyst was found to be superior in terms of productivity and recyclability in comparison to that of the bared PdO/CuO NPs separated by the ultracentrifugation (UC) method. On the other hand, the one modified with the carbon matrix retained the same activity and reduced the reaction time in nitroarene reduction reaction (NAR) under identical conditions. Electrochemical studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to understand the mechanism of the NAR process. Both the experimental and theoretical evidence explicitly demonstrated the individual role of both palladium (Pd) and copper (Cu). Pd was found to be the active site for nitroarene interaction, while CuO NPs played an important role in isopropanol oxidation.