Facile one-pot strategy to prepare Ag/Fe2O3 decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite and its catalytic application in chemoselective reduction of nitroarenes

Abstract The present work reports about one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of a composite of Ag/Fe 2 O 3 anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via homogeneous chemical precipitation of Fe(OH) 3 and simultaneous reduction of Ag(I). The pristine aqueous suspension of graphene oxide (GO) synthesized by Hummers method is mixed with Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O, AgNO 3 , urea and polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000). The mixture under hydrothermal conditions transforms into Ag/α-Fe 2 O 3 -rGO nanohybrid. Here PEG 4000plays dual role of surfactant as well as reducing agent for Ag(I). The synthesized Ag/Fe 2 O 3 -rGO nanocomposite was used as magnetically recoverable catalyst for room-temperature chemoselective reduction of aromatic nitro groups to the corresponding amines.