Multiple metal elements in situ loaded with coal pitch-based activated carbon fibers as efficient catalysts for the conversion of p-nitrophenol

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are a good support for metal catalysts due to their high specific surface area and abundant micropores. In this study, a simple catalyst preparation method was proposed to in-situ load different metal elements on coal pitch-based activated carbon fibers by impregnation and calcination technique using coal pitch-based activated carbon fibers as raw material. Different catalysts showed excellent catalytic activities for the reduction of p-nitrophenol. The results showed that the metal active elements were successfully loaded onto the activated carbon fibers. In addition, the catalyst containing Ni, Co, and Cu metal ions(ACF–3) showed excellent catalytic activity, and the conversion rate reached 95.33% at 1 min. The catalyst was recovered and reused and still showed catalytic performance after five cycles. This indicates that coal pitch-based activated carbon fibers could serve as an efficient support material for a wide range of catalytic applications.