Synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance of iron molybdate Fe2(MoO4)3 nanoparticles

• Iron molybdate Fe2(MoO4)3 nanoparticles were prepared successfully via a new method.
• Fe2(MoO4)3 nanocatalyst exhibits high efficiency in the reduction of nitrophenol.
• High rate constants were obtained even using concentrated nitrophenol solutions.

Iron molybdate Fe2(MoO4)3 nanoparticles were prepared via heating an oxalate precursor in air at 500 °C. The precursor was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and its thermal behavior was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The as-prepared iron molybdate was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller technique (BET), and its catalytic performance was tested. Fe2(MoO4)3 exhibits a very high efficiency in the catalytic reduction of the nitro group to the amine group in the ortho-, meta-, and paranitrophenol isomers. The reduction was monitored using UV visible absorption measurements.

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