Copper-based MOF, Cu3(SDBA)2(HSDBA), as a catalyst for efficient reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of sodium borohydride

Herein, we report the synthesis of the copper-based MOF, Cu-3(SDBA)(2)(HSDBA), using a solvothermal method. The physicochemical properties of the as-prepared sample were examined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared and UV-vis spectroscopy techniques, and thermal analysis. Cu-3(SDBA)(2)(HSDBA) was then investigated as a catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) at 25 degrees C, and related kinetics and thermodynamics analyses were carried out. In a nutshell, it can be emphasized that, under our conditions, the Cu-3(SDBA)(2)(HSDBA) catalyst is able to completely reduce 4-NP to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in a very short time such as 20 s. Additionally, Cu-3(SDBA)(2)(HSDBA) can be re-used for seven successive cycles without obvious change in its catalytic activity.

Automated summary

In this study, a copper-based MOF catalyst Cu-3(SDBA)(2)(HSDBA) was synthesized and demonstrated to be highly efficient for reducing 4-nitrophenol, with the ability to be reused for multiple cycles without significant loss of catalytic activity.