Cobalt nanoclusters coated with N-doped carbon for chemoselective nitroarene hydrogenation and tandem reactions in water

Subnanometric cobalt nanoclusters covered by N-doped carbon layers (Co@NC-800) catalyze the chemoselective reduction of nitroarenes and the one-pot synthesis of secondary aryl amines and isoindolinones in aquo media under mild reaction conditions.