Synthesis of nanoporous carbons/metal nanoparticles composite through direct carbonization of a MOF for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

A facile and effective synthetic route has been utilized to synthesize nanoporous carbons (NPCs)/cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) composites by direct carbonization of a Co-MOF. The combination of various spectroscopic tools demonstrated that the CoNPs (about 5 nm in diameter) in the resultant composites were evenly installed in the carbon matrix without any aggregations. Furthermore, the size of the CoNPs can be easily controlled by adjusting the temperature of the hydrothermal treatment. Results of UV–Visible spectrophotometer demonstrated the significant effects of the obtained structure on the reduction of the targeted pollutant 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The high reaction activity catalysed by CoNPs with the presence of sodium borohydride is attributed to nanostructure advantage and the high surface area.