Fe3O4@graphene oxide composite: A magnetically separable and efficient catalyst for the reduction of nitroarenes

We reported a facile co-precipitation method to prepare a highly active Fe3O4@graphene oxide (Fe3O4@GO) composite catalyst, which was fully characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N2 adsorption–desorption measurements. The results demonstrated that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) with a small diameter of around 12 nm were densely and evenly deposited on the graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The as-prepared Fe3O4@GO composite was explored as a catalyst to reduce a series of nitroarenes for the first time, which exhibited a great activity with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 3.63 min−1, forty five times that of the commercial Fe3O4 NPs. The dosages of catalyst and hydrazine hydrate are both less than those reported. Furthermore, the composite catalyst can be easily recovered due to its magnetic separability and high stability.

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► The Fe3O4@GO composite was prepared by a facile co-precipitation method.
► Fe3O4 nanoparticles are well distributed on GO nanosheets.
► Fe3O4@GO was for the first time explored as a catalyst to reduce nitroarenes.
► Fe3O4@GO exhibits higher catalytic activity.
► The composite catalyst is easily recycled due to its magnetic separability.