Efficient and selective electro-reduction of nitrobenzene by the nano-structured Cu catalyst prepared by an electrodeposited method via tuning applied voltage

Pollution caused by toxic nitrobenzene has been a widespread environmental concern. Selective reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline is beneficial to further efficient and cost-effective biologic treatment. Electrochemical reduction is a promising method and Cu-based catalysts have been found to be an efficient cathode material for this purpose. In this work, Cu catalysts with different morphologies were fabricated on Ti plate using a facile electrodepositon method via tuning the applied voltage. The dendritic nano-structured Cu catalysts obtained at high applied voltages exhibited an excellent efficiency and selectivity toward the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline. Effects of the working potential and initial nitrobenzene concentration on the selective reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline using the Cu/Ti electrode were investigated. A high rate constant of 0.0251 min⁻¹ and 97.1% aniline selectivity were achieved. The fabricated nano-structured Cu catalysts also exhibited good stability. This work provides a facile way to prepare highly efficient, cost-effective, and stable nano-structured electrocatalysts for pollutant reduction.