One-pot synthesis of flowerlike Ni7S6 and its application in selective hydrogenation of chloronitrobenzene

Uniform flowerlike Ni7S6 nanostructures composed of nanopetals with sharp tips have been synthesized by a mild hydrothermal method. On the basis of a series of contrast experiments, a probable growth mechanism and fabrication process of the flowerlike products was proposed. The catalytic performances of the as-synthesized samples were tested in selective hydrogenation of chloronitrobezene. Compared with other nickel sulfide samples with different morphologies and structures, flowerlike Ni7S6 samples show much higher activity and selectivity in the hydrogenations of nitrobenzene and chloronitrobenzenes with different chlorine substituent site. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that uniform flower-like Ni7S6 with high selectivity to nitro group have been synthesized in solution.