Bimetallic Ag/Cu supported hollow SiO2 sphere drives the efficient hydrogenation of nitroarenes

Highlights: • Bimetallic Ag/Cu supported hollow SiO₂ sphere was prepared. • The HS-Ag/Cu exhibited an enhanced catalytic activity than monometallic counterparts. • Corresponding aniline is almost quantitatively produced toward the hydrogenation of nitroarene. • This work represents a new direction for constructing bimetallic catalysts by combining low-cost metal and porous support. Constructing a low-cost and efficient catalyst is of high importance toward the hydrogenation of nitroarenes. In this work, we design an Ag/Cu bimetallic catalyst by supporting Ag/Cu nanoparticles on the surface of hollow SiO₂ sphere (HS–Ag/Cu), in which SiO₂ acts as a support to disperse silver and copper nanoparticles due to its hydrophilic surface and chemical inertness, making it easier to decrease the aggregation of metal nanoparticles. Notably, the hollow/porous structure of SiO₂ considerably drives the diffusion of reactants/products by decreasing diffusion limitation, leading to an enhanced catalytic activity toward the hydrogenation of nitroarenes than monometallic catalyst. Furthermore, corresponding aniline is almost quantitatively produced, indicating a significantly practical potential.