Facile protocol for reduction of nitroarenes using magnetically recoverable CoM0.2Fe1.8O4 (M = Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) ferrite nanocatalysts

Transition metal doped cobalt ferrite (CoM0.2Fe1.8O4 (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)) nanoparticles were fabricated using the sol-gel methodology. The obtained ferrite nanoparticles were annealed at 400 degrees C and characterized using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). In the FT-IR spectra two bands in the range 1000-400 cm(-1) were observed corresponding to the M-O bond in the tetrahedral and octahedral sites. XRD patterns confirmed the formation of a cubic spinel structure with a Fd (3) over barm space-group. HR-TEM analysis revealed a quasi-spherical shape with particle sizes in the range 20-30 nm for all the synthesized ferrite nanoparticles. The lattice inter-planar distances of 0.29, 0.25, 0.21 and 0.16 nm obtained from HR-TEM corresponding to the (2 2 0), (3 1 1), (4 0 0) and (5 1 1) lattice planes respectively were in complete agreement with the XRD data. The EDX-STEM confirmed the elemental composition as per the desired stoichiometric ratio. The catalytic efficiency of the synthesized ferrite samples was explored for the reduction of nitrophenols. Cu substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoCu0.2Fe1.8O4) possessed excellent catalytic activity while CoM0.2Fe1.8O4 (M = Co, Ni and Zn) were inactive for the same. The substrate scope of the developed protocol was also evaluated for the reduction of various CH3-, NH2-, Br-, Cl- etc. substituted nitroaromatic compounds.