Iron Oxides on Waste Steel Slags as Catalyst for the Transfer Hydrogenation of Nitrobenzene Using iso-Propanol as Hydrogen Source

Iron oxide-based catalysts have been widely investigated due to their high catalytic activity and operational availability. However, in the perspective of commercial application, performance and cost are two crucial parameters for the development of catalysts. To reduce the cost, it is possible to use industrial wastes, such as steel slags, as effective support for iron oxide catalysts, which are also able to assist the catalytically active sites during their performances. Currently, steel slags are mainly used as building materials, nevertheless, sustainable reuse technologies are still desirable. Herein, the synthesis and characterization of several materials constituted of iron oxides onto steel slags in different mass ratio are reported. Their catalytic activity is also investigated in the reduction of nitrobenzene using iso-propanol as the hydrogen source in the absence of any added base.