A nonmetal catalyst for molecular hydrogen activation with comparable catalytic hydrogenation capability to noble metal catalyst.

Fullerene can activate molecular hydrogen and is a novel nonmetal hydrogenation catalyst. The hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds to amino aromatics is achieved on this catalyst with high conversion and selectivity under 1 atmospheric pressure of H(2) and light irradiation at room temperature or under conditions of 120-160 degrees C and 4-5 MPa H(2) pressure without light irradiation, which is comparable to the case with a noble metal catalyst.