Formates for green catalytic reductions via CO2hydrogenation, mediated by magnetically recoverable catalysts

Precious metal catalyst has been prepared by conventional wet impregnation method followed by precipitation and reduction with hydrogen finally passivated with water in air. The magnetically recoverable catalyst has been prepared starting from a stoichiometric Fe3O4and ZrO2-Fe3O4as supports prepared following a sequential precipitation procedure. Precious metal catalysts supported on carbon, alumina, magnetite and zirconia-magnetite nanocomposite has been used in the reduction of nitrobenzenes and acetophenone by using sodium and potassium formate as reducing agent in the presence and in absence of an aqueous phase. In addition, the same catalysts has been tested in CO2and NaHCO3hydrogenation, for verifying their potentiality in the CO2as hydrogen carrier for hydrogenation processes.