Photocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzenes to aminobenzenes in aqueous suspensions of titanium(IV) oxide in the presence of hole scavengers under deaerated and aerated conditions

Photocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzenes to corresponding aminobenzenes in aqueous suspensions of titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) containing hole scavengers under various conditions was examined. In photocatalytic reduction of m-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid (m-NBS) in the presence of formic acid (FA) under deaerated conditions, m-aminobenzenesulfonic acid (m-ABS) was produced almost quantitatively in acidic suspensions and high efficiency (> 99%) in FA utilization as a hole scavenger was achieved. No re-oxidation of m-ABS occurred in acidic conditions both in the presence and absence of FA. The high yield of m-ABS was explained by strong ability of FA as a hole scavenger and possible repulsion of the reduced functional group (ammonium group, -NH3+) from the protonated, i.e., positively charged TiO2 surface in acidic suspensions avoiding re-oxidation of m-ABS. Using TiO2 samples of various physical properties, which had been synthesized by a solvothermal method and post-calcination at various temperatures, effects of physical properties of the TiO2 samples on m-ABS yield were also investigated. A linear correlation between the amount of m-NBS adsorbed and the m-ABS yield was observed, suggesting that ability of TiO2 for m-NBS adsorption is one of the key factors for effective photocatalytic reduction of m-NBS to m-ABS. This photocatalytic system can be applied for reduction of aminonitrobenzenes to corresponding diaminobenzenes (DAB) in the presence of oxalic acid as a hole scavenger. High yields of m-ABS and DAB were achieved even when the reactions were performed in the presence of oxygen.