One-pot synthesis of Ni-NiFe2O4/carbon nanofiber composites from biomass for selective hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds

Ni-NiFe2O4/carbon nanofiber (Ni-NiFe2O4/CNF) composite materials were synthesized by fast pyrolysis of the FeCl3 and NiCl2 preloaded biomass. The as-synthesized materials showed a favourable catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds with high yield and selectivity. The catalyst can be easily separated using a magnet and its catalytic activity remains almost unchanged after 7-time reuse.