Confinement of Cobalt Species in Mesoporous N-Doped Carbons and the Impact on Nitroarene Hydrogenation

A general strategy to synthesize mesoporous and macroporous carbon and N-doped mesoporous carbon is presented. The immobilization of cobalt catalysts with dispersed subnanometer particles in mesoporous N-doped carbon matrixes is also shown. These materials were used as catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes under considerably mild conditions. The surface area and the presence of nitrogen on the supports were demonstrated to be fundamental to disperse and stabilize the active metal species, which were responsible for the outstanding performance of these materials compared to cobalt catalysts deposited on silica, alumina, or mesoporous carbon. Finally, the ability to catalyze the hydrogenation of nitroarenes containing electron-donating groups (EDGs) and electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) with good selectivity was also explored.