Abstract
Developing a bifunctional catalyst with low cost and high catalytic performance in NaBH4 hydrolysis for H-2 generation and selective reduction of nitroaromatics will make a significant impact in the field of sustainable energy and water purification. Herein, a low-loading homogeneously dispersed Pd oxide-rich Co3O4 polyhedral catalyst (PdO-Co3O4) with concave structure is reported by using a metal-organic framework (MOF)-templated synthesis method. The results show that the PdO-Co3O4 catalyst has an exceptional turnover frequency (3325.6 mol(H2) min(-1) mol(Pd)(-1)), low activation energy (43.2 kJ mol(-1)), and reasonable reusability in catalytic H-2 generation from NaBH4 hydrolysis. Moreover, the optimized catalyst also shows excellent catalytic performance in the NaBH4 selective reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminiphenol with a high first-order reaction rate of approximately 1.31 min(-1). These excellent catalytic properties are mainly ascribed to the porous concave structure, monodispersed Pd oxide, as well as the unique synergy between PdO and Co3O4 species, which result in a large specific surface area, high conductivity, and fast solute transport and gas emissions.