SYNTHESIS OF Ni–Bi–P HOLLOW MICROSPHERES WITH OUTSTANDINGLY HIGH ACTIVITY TOWARD THE CATALYTIC REDUCTION OF p-NITROPHENOL

A simple wet-explosion method was employed to synthesize the Ni–Bi–P composite microspheres. The hollow structure was obtained possibly due to the violent evolution of gas bubbles when the reaction reagents were mixed. The hollow microspheres of Ni–Bi–P exhibited outstanding high catalytic activity for the reduction of p -nitrophenol ( p -NP) to form p -aminophenol in the presence of NaBH 4 within only 1 s. Due to the space limitation, the hollow structure of Ni–Bi–P microspheres helps to accommodate and confine the molecules of NaBH 4 and p -NP within the small space where NaBH 4 and p -NP contact closely at Ni–Bi–P catalysts. The synergetic action of Ni, Bi and P elements also contributes the enhanced catalytic activity.