High-Selective Catalyst Based on Intermetallic Rh1In1 Particles for Nitrobenzene Hydrogenation

The catalytic performance of a bimetallic RhIn/SiO2 catalyst was studied in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of nitrobenzene. The formation of intermetallic Rh1In1 nanoparticles was revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and IR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO. It was shown that, in comparison with monometallic Rh/SiO2, the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene on the RhIn/SiO2 catalyst proceeded at a higher rate and with higher selectivity. In contrast to the monometallic catalyst, the formation of by-products and the hydrogenation of the benzene ring did not proceed on the intermetallic sample. It was assumed that the higher selectivity of RhIn/SiO2 can be associated both with a change in the electronic state of Rh atoms and with the geometry of the active sites.