Zn-Doped Copper Nanoparticles Emerged on V₃O₄ for Selective Catalytic Activity toward Nitroarenes Reduction

The catalytic reduction of nitroarene to aniline represents a fundamental transformation in organic chemistry with wide applications in producing fine chemicals and value-added products. Conventional approaches often rely on noble-metal catalysts, such as Pt, Pd, and Au, whose practical utility is restricted due to high cost and limited availability. Alternative strategies for avoiding precious metals also suffer from poor selectivity and the use of environmentally hazardous reagents. To address these limitations, we report Zn-doped copper nanoparticles anchored on V3O4 nanosheets (Cu1–xZnx@V3O4) as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for nitroarene reduction. The different catalysts were synthesized via the reduction of Zn-doped copper vanadate precursors, yielding well-dispersed Zn-doped copper nanoparticles on the vanadium oxide support. Among these, Cu0.9Zn0.1@V3O4 exhibited excellent activity and selectivity toward the conversion of nitroarene into aniline. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrated robust stability, retaining high activity over five consecutive recycling cycles without a significant loss in performance. These findings highlight the potential of earth-abundant transition-metal-based nanostructures as sustainable alternatives to noble-metal catalysts for selective hydrogenation reactions.