A catalyst including platinum (Pt) and a composite support. The composite support includes ZrO.sub.2/mesoporous silica sieve SBA-15. The platinum accounts for 0.01-0.3 wt. % of the catalyst. ZrO.sub.2 accounts for 5-20 wt. % of the composite support.

The present invention is directed to reaction mixtures comprising a water-surfactant mixture and a co-solvent. This technology reduced the amount of organic solvents needed for performing chemical reactions. Furthermore, compared to reaction mixtures lacking the co-solvent, solvation of the reactants and products of the chemical reaction is greatly enhanced, leading to a significantly improved yield, purity, reproducibility and robustness.

The present invention is directed to reaction mixtures comprising a water-surfactant mixture and a co-solvent. This technology reduced the amount of organic solvents needed for performing chemical reactions. Furthermore, compared to reaction mixtures lacking the co-solvent, solvation of the reactants and products of the chemical reaction is greatly enhanced, leading to a significantly improved yield, purity, reproducibility and robustness.

An aromatic nitro compound has a structure in which a nitro group and a halogen atom, in a separated state, are directly bonded as substituents to the ring structure of the same ring; a reaction composition is provided which, in a hydrogenation reaction of the nitro group of said aromatic nitro compound, allows selectively hydrogenating the nitro group, and sufficiently reducing the separation of the halogen atom from the ring; also provided is a reaction system that uses this reaction composition. This reaction composition includes a catalyst which, with the aforementioned aromatic nitro compound as reactant, is used in a hydrogenation reaction of at least one of the one or more nitro groups of said reactant. Further, the reaction composition includes a base and an organic solvent. The catalyst includes a carrier, and Fe oxide particles and Pt particles supported by the carrier.

An aromatic nitro compound has a structure in which a nitro group and a halogen atom, in a separated state, are directly bonded as substituents to the ring structure of the same ring; a reaction composition is provided which, in a hydrogenation reaction of the nitro group of said aromatic nitro compound, allows selectively hydrogenating the nitro group, and sufficiently reducing the separation of the halogen atom from the ring; also provided is a reaction system that uses this reaction composition. This reaction composition includes a catalyst which, with the aforementioned aromatic nitro compound as reactant, is used in a hydrogenation reaction of at least one of the one or more nitro groups of said reactant. Further, the reaction composition includes a base and an organic solvent. The catalyst includes a carrier, and Fe oxide particles and Pt particles supported by the carrier.

A supported catalyst having rhodium particles with an average diameter of less than 1 nm disposed on a support material containing magnetic iron oxide (e.g. Fe.sub.3O.sub.4). A method of producing the supported catalyst and a process of reducing nitroarenes to corresponding aromatic amines employing the supported catalyst with a high product yield are also described. The supported catalyst may be recovered with ease using an external magnet and reused.

A supported catalyst having rhodium particles with an average diameter of less than 1 nm disposed on a support material containing magnetic iron oxide (e.g. Fe.sub.3O.sub.4). A method of producing the supported catalyst and a process of reducing nitroarenes to corresponding aromatic amines employing the supported catalyst with a high product yield are also described. The supported catalyst may be recovered with ease using an external magnet and reused.

Provided is a catalyst mixture which, in a nitro group hydrogenation reaction of an aromatic nitro compound having a structure in which nitro groups and halogen atoms are directly bonded as substituents to a ring skeleton of the same ring while separated from each other, is capable of selectively hydrogenating the nitro groups and sufficiently reducing the removal of the halogen atoms from the ring. This catalyst mixture includes a catalyst which is used in a hydrogenation reaction of at least one among one or more nitro groups present in a reactant, which is an aromatic nitro compound having a structure in which one or more nitro groups and one or more halogen atoms are directly bonded as substituents to a ring skeleton of the same ring while separated from each other. This catalyst mixture further includes a base.

A carbon-coated transition metal nanocomposite material includes carbon-coated transition metal particles having a core-shell structure. The shell layer of the core-shell structure is a graphitized carbon layer doped with oxygen and/or nitrogen, and the core of the core-shell structure is a transition metal nanoparticle. The nanocomposite material has a structure rich in mesopores, is an adsorption/catalyst material with excellent performance, can be used for catalyzing various hydrogenation reduction reactions, or used as a catalytic-oxidation catalyst useful for the treatment of volatile organic compounds in industrial exhaust gases.

A carbon-coated transition metal nanocomposite material includes carbon-coated transition metal particles having a core-shell structure. The shell layer of the core-shell structure is a graphitized carbon layer doped with oxygen and/or nitrogen, and the core of the core-shell structure is a transition metal nanoparticle. The nanocomposite material has a structure rich in mesopores, is an adsorption/catalyst material with excellent performance, can be used for catalyzing various hydrogenation reduction reactions, or used as a catalytic-oxidation catalyst useful for the treatment of volatile organic compounds in industrial exhaust gases.