AuCo Nanoparticles Inserted between the Layers of Ti₃C₂: An Efficient Nanozyme for Aliphatic Nitro‐to‐Amine Reduction

The construction of nanozyme with superior catalytic activity and stable structure is urgently needed in practical application. Herein, AuCo nanoparticles inserted between the layers of Ti 3 C 2 (AuCo/Ti 3 C 2 ) are prepared by strong electrostatic adsorption method and thermal treatment process. The nitroreductase‐like activity of AuCo/Ti 3 C 2 is explored with a new hydrogenation reaction of 3‐nitropropionic acid (3‐NPA) to beta‐alanine (BA) as probe. AuCo/Ti 3 C 2 shows the highest catalytic activity with TOF value of 4.5 × 10 19 molecules·g −1 ·s −1 in comparison to Au/Ti 3 C 2 and Co/Ti 3 C 2 , attributing to the synergistic effect of Au and Co. In addition, AuCo/Ti 3 C 2 also has excellent stability, and the conversion rate of 3‐NPA still can maintain 100% at the fifth cycle, which is due to the insertion of AuCo nanoparticles between the layers of Ti 3 C 2 , and the insertion prevents the aggregation and the detachment of nanoparticles during repeated uses. The above results demonstrate the feasibility of AuCo/Ti 3 C 2 in practical application. The plausible mechanism of 3‐NPA hydrogenation into BA by NaBH 4 in the presence of AuCo/Ti 3 C 2 is proposed. This research provides a promising strategy to enhance the stability of nanozyme, and may open up a new approach in reducing aliphatic nitro to amine.