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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