Enhanced catalytic reduction of para-nitrophenol using α-MoO3 molybdenum oxide nanorods and stacked nanoplates as catalysts prepared from different precursors

Molybdenum oxide, alpha-MoO3, nanorods and stacked nanoplates were prepared from oxalate, citrate and tartrate precursors. These molybdenum oxides showed high efficiencies in the reduction of para-nitrophenol to para-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4. The prepared precursors were first characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and then thermally decomposed at 350 degrees C (oxalate precursor) and 550 degrees C (citrate and tartrate precursors). The final oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Braunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) technique. The oxalate precursor is the most efficient catalyst for the reduction reaction.