Transformation from 3D Boron Organic Polymers to 1D Nanorod Arrays: Loading Highly Dispersed Nanometal for Green Catalysis

The increasing global demands for eco-friendly and low-cost catalysts have propelled the advent of nanosized non-noble-metal catalysts to replace traditional noble metals. In this work, ultrafine NiO nanoparticles were prepared rapidly in situ by the strategy of transforming three-dimensional (3D) metal boron organic polymers (BOPs@Ni2+) to one-dimensional (1D) boron organic polymers (BOPs@Ni) nanorod arrays at room temperature. The 3D BOPs@Ni2+ can be quickly obtained by the interaction of 4,4′-bipyridine with Ni2+ and dodecaborate (B12H122–) in an aqueous solution. When Ni2+ is converted into NiO in situ, 1D BOPs@Ni nanostructure transformation from the 3D BOPs@Ni2+ framework was achieved due to the B–H···π interaction between B12H122– and 4,4′-bipyridine. Furthermore, BOPs@Ni exhibits high catalytic activity and rapid kinetics in the conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, and the high stability of 1D nanorod arrays guarantees the catalytic activity of BOP@Ni to barely change under recycling for at least 10 times. BOPs@Ni also exhibits good catalytic performance and high selectivity characteristics in the catalytic reduction of a series of nitrobenzene derivatives. This strategy of using BOPs@Ni2+ for loading self-supporting nanometal not only exhibits a highly efficient catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and its derivative but also provides an effective technical route for designing self-supported nanometal materials.