Stable Sub‐2‐nm Fe3O4 Particles Confined in P, N Co‐Doped Carbon Derived from the Assembly of DPPF with PCN‐222: A Promising Transfer Hydrogenation Catalyst

Abstract

AbstractThe nanoconfinement approach for constructing ultra‐small nanoparticles has been effectively utilized in the development of non‐precious metal catalysts. Herein, the catalyst precursor was prepared by host‐guest assembly method, using PCN‐222 as the host and 1,1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino) ferrocene (DPPF) as the guest. After calcination, the sub‐2 nm iron oxide nanoparticles within a phosphorus‐nitrogen co‐doped carbon matrix (Fe3O4@P/N‐CDCM) was obtained. Benefiting from the nanoconfinement effect, the sub‐2 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the P/N‐CDCM matrix. As a representative application, Fe3O4@P/N‐CDCM‐600 showed remarkable catalytic activity in the reduction of various nitroaromatic compounds. Under ambient conditions, the efficient reduction of nitro compounds in aqueous solution led to excellent conversion rates (96–99 %) and selectivity (99 %) within 45 minutes. Additionally, the catalyst maintained high efficiency over 5 cycles without experiencing a noticeable decrease in activity. This work provides an innovative and cost‐effective strategy for fabricating highly dispersed non‐precious metal nanoparticles.