Synthesis of Au nanoparticles supported on mesoporous N-doped carbon and its high catalytic activity towards hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol

Au nanoparticles supported on mesoporous N-doped carbon (CN) nanocomposites have been synthesized via a facile and green method using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a reductant at room temperature. The structure, composition and morphology of the as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Further, the catalytic activity of Au/CN was investigated for hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol (4-NP) to p-aminophenol (4-AP) and it exhibited excellent catalytic activity with a TOF of 11.4 min−1. The unique structure and high catalytic performance make the nanocomposites highly promising candidates for diverse applications in the area of catalysis.