NiGraf and Reduced NiGraf: A New Family of Catalytic Metal Organic Alloys of Large Applicative Potential

Consisting of graphene oxide molecularly entrapped within jamborite nanoparticles, NiGraf (GO@Ni) is a new metal-organic alloy (MORAL) usable as versatile electrocatalyst for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions in alkaline water electrolysis. Its reduced form obtained via reduction of entrapped GO with thiophene (RGO@Ni) is a highly active and stable hydrogenation catalyst enabling the reduction of nitrobenzene (NB) to aniline at 35 °C in the liquid phase using water as an “on-solvent” reaction medium under biphasic conditions. In this presentation, I will discuss the outcomes of experimental and computational investigations of both NiGraf and reduced NiGraf explaining the unique catalytic activity and stability of these new MORALs. Applications range from use of reduced NiGraf in mediating the nitrobenzene hydrogenation to aniline through successful employment of NiGraf in the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is usually the most sluggish halfreaction in alkaline water electrolysis due to the multi-electron transfer process. These results are practically relevant because MORALs hold great applicative potential as new-generation solid catalysts, especially when the metal used to entrap organic species consists of low-cost and earth-abundant nickel. For instance, besides eliminating the need for an organic solvent, the reduction of NB to aniline at room temperature mediated by reduced NiGraf has significant practical application potential for the synthesis of a compound produced worldwide at a rate of 7 million tonnes per year.