Zinc modification of Ni-Ti as efficient NixZnyTi1 catalysts with both geometric and electronic improvements for hydrogenation of nitroaromatics

The catalytic hydrogenation of nitroaromatics is an environmentally friendly technology for aniline production, and it is crucial to develop noble-metal-free catalysts that can achieve chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroaromatics under mild reaction conditions. In this work, zinc-modified Ni-Ti catalysts (NixZnyTi1) were fabricated and applied for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics hydrogenation. It was found that the introduction of zinc effectively increases the surface Ni density, enhances the electronic effect, and improves the interaction between Ni and TiO2, resulting in smaller Ni particle size, more oxygen vacancies, higher dispersion and greater concentration of Ni on the catalyst surface. Furthermore, the electron-rich Niδ− obtained by electron transfer from Zn and Ti to Ni effectively adsorbs and dissociates hydrogen. The results reveal that NixZnyTi1 (Ni0.5Zn0.5Ti1) shows excellent catalytic performance under mild conditions (70 °C and 6 bar). These findings provide a rational strategy for the development of highly active non-noble-metal hydrogenation catalysts.