Commercial MoS₂ was found to be a highly selective catalyst for the reduction of nitrobenzenes to the corresponding anilines with hydrazine under mild conditions. MoS₂ is not only much cheaper, but also more selective than noble metal catalysts for the reduction of functional nitrobenzenes to the corresponding anilines. Nitrobenzenes with halides (F, Cl, Br and I) were reduced selectively, and the corresponding anilines were obtained in excellent yields, and no dehalogenation was detected. Functional groups such as NH₂, OH, alkene groups were tolerated during the reduction of the nitro compounds. The reduction of p-chloronitrobenzene was studied over MoS₂ and Pd/C respectively with hydrazine. The yield of p-chloroaniline was much higher with MoS₂ than that with Pd/C at full conversion.

We have demonstrated a highly active and selective nanocatalyst, Rh/HAP (rhodium supported on hydroxyapatite), for the reduction of nitroarenes with hydrazine and for the hydrogenation of olefins with hydrogen gas under mild conditions. Nitroarenes were hydrogenated selectively to the corresponding anilines over the Rh/HAP catalyst with hydrazine as reducing agent, and reducible groups, such as halides (fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine), cyano and alkene were untouched. Moreover, olefins can be hydrogenated selectively to the corresponding alkanes in good yields over the Rh/HAP catalyst in the presence of reducible nitro, carbonyl and cyano groups when H₂ was used.

A convenient and highly selective platinum nanocatalyst was developed for the hydrogenation of nitro aromatics into the corresponding anilines at room temperature under ambient pressure. The platinum catalyst was highly active and selective for the hydrogenation of nitro aromatic compounds. Reducible groups such as aldehyde, ketone and nitrile were untouched during the hydrogenation of the corresponding nitro compounds, and the corresponding anilines were obtained quantitatively.