Catalyzing Nitrobenzene into Aniline Using Safe Hydrogenation (IMAGE)

University of Johannesburg

Catalyzing Nitrobenzene into Aniline Using Safe Hydrogenation

Caption

UJ researchers used Pickering emulsions to show that hydrogenation can be much safer. In a novel catalyzed process, the toxic waste product nitrobenzene is turned into aniline. Aniline is a valuable feedstock in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The three-phase catalyzed process is efficient at room temperature.

This study is the first efficient application of a bimetalic palladium catalyst for the hydrogenation of an aromatic compound in a water-based Pickering emulsion system.

Above are the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) images of (a) Silica microspheres, (b) Methyl modified silica microspheres, (c) bifunctionalized modified silica microspheres, (d) Pd/SM-CN, (e) PdCo/SMCN, (f) PdNi/SM-CN.

Chemists from the University of Johannesburg have demonstrated this, in research published in Colloids and Surfaces at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927775721003824

Credit

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) images by Dele Peter Fapojuwo, University of Johannesburg. Graphic design by Therese van Wyk, University of Johannesburg.

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