Effect of Co-B supporting methods on the hydrogenation of m-chloronitrobenzene over Co-B/CNTs amorphous alloy catalysts

•Co-B particles were selectively deposited inside or outside CNTs.•CNTs-confined Co-B particles were small and non-agglomerated.•Thermostability of the Co-B amorphous alloy was enhanced when confined in CNTs.•Co-B particles inside CNTs showed higher hydrogenation activity than Co-B particles outside CNTs.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-supported Co-B amorphous alloy catalysts, with selective deposition of Co-B particles inside or outside of CNTs (labeled as Co-B-in/CNTs and Co-B-out/CNTs), were prepared based on the difference in the interface energies of organic and aqueous solutions with the CNTs surface. The catalysts were tested for the liquid-phase hydrogenation of m-chloronitrobenzene (m-CNB) to m-chloroaniline. Compared with Co-B-out/CNTs, Co-B-in/CNTs shows smaller, homogeneous size, and greatly improved thermal stability. The hydrogenation of m-CNB over Co-B-out/CNTs occurs on the outside of CNTs, while the hydrogenation of m-CNB over Co-B-in/CNTs occurs in the nanospace inside of CNTs. Co-B-in/CNTs exhibits a much higher activity than Co-B-out/CNTs.

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