Pd immobilized on hybrid of magnetic graphene quantum dots and cyclodextrin decorated chitosan: An efficient hydrogenation catalyst.

Magnetic graphene quantum dots were prepared and incorporated in cyclodextrin decorated chitosan. The resulting hybrid was then palladated and characterized using TEM, BET, TGA, XRD, VSM, ICP and FTIR spectroscopy. Next, the catalytic activity of the prepared hybrid catalyst that benefits from the chemistry of both carbohydrates and magnetic graphene quantum dots was investigated for promoting hydrogenation reaction of nitroarenes in aqueous media under mild reaction condition. The study of the catalyst performance confirmed high catalytic activity and selectivity of the catalyst towards hydrogenation of the nitro group. Moreover, the catalyst could be magnetically separated from the reaction mixture and recycled up to ten reaction runs with a slight loss of the catalytic activity and Pd leaching. These results showed that the hybrid of magnetic graphene quantum dots and carbohydrates is an efficient catalyst support that can be potentially applied for the immobilization of nanoparticles to furnish heterogeneous catalysts for promoting the chemical transformations.