Cobalt nanoparticles embedded in porous N-doped carbon support as a superior catalyst for the p-nitrophenol reduction

We report the synthesis of a new effective cobalt-based composite for catalytic reduction of water pollutant - pnitrophenol. ZIF-67 and its Zn-substituted analog have been used as precursors for the catalyst preparation. Their pyrolysis has resulted in cobalt nanoparticles embedded into N-doped carbon substrates. We have used polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as an additive to ZIF-substrates to produce mesoporous carbon shells on the surface of the catalysts. We have found that PVDF-additive enhanced the catalytic properties of the obtained composite material. Firstly, this additive reduces the total cobalt concentration in the composite by increasing carbon content. Secondly, a porous carbon shell improves the rate of catalytic reactions. According to the experimental data, PVDF additive has allowed us to obtain materials with lower Co-content but with high catalytic activity towards p-nitrophenol reduction.

Automated summary

A new cobalt-based composite for catalytic reduction of water pollutant - pnitrophenol has been synthesized and studied. ZIF-67 and its Zn-substituted analog were used as precursors for the catalyst preparation. The pyrolysis of ZIF-67 and Zn-substituted ZIF-67 resulted in cobalt nanoparticles embedded into N-doped carbon substrates. The addition of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as an additive to ZIF-substrates was found to enhance the catalytic properties of the obtained composite material. The PVDF additive reduces the cobalt concentration in the composite while the mesoporous carbon shells on the surface of the catalysts improve the rate of catalytic reactions.