Cobalt nanoparticles anchoring on nitrogen doped carbon with excellent performances for transfer hydrogenation of nitrocompounds to primary amines and N-substituted formamides with formic acid

Cobalt nanoparticles anchoring on nitrogen doped carbon derived from pyrolysis of a cobalt complex and chitosan were developed for reduction of nitrocompounds with neat formic acid to their corresponding amines or N-substituted formamides by switch of solvents. Characterization results revealed that most of the nitrogen atoms are present as graphitic N and pyridinic N as anchoring sites, and the cobalt nanoparticles are wrapped by nitrogen doped carbon layers, endowing the catalyst with excellent activity and superior reusability.