In this work, cysteine-functionalized Fe3O4@Carbon magnetic nanoparticles were used for the synthesis of gold nanorods. Fe3O4@C nanoparticles were irstprepared by synthesis of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and then carbon-coated MNPs (Fe3O4@C) were synthesized by glucose carbonization using a hydrothermal method. Finally, the gold NRs were loaded on the modiied surface of Fe3O4@C MNPs. The designed magnetically recoverable gold nanorods, after full characterization by FTIR, SEM, TEM, TGA, VSM, XRD, and ICPOES, were applied to the reduction of nitroarenes. The Fe3O4@C@Cys–Au nanorods showed higher performance than Fe3O4@C@Cys–Au nanospheres in a selective facile reduction of nitroarenes to the corresponding aminoarenes in aqueous medium at room temperature using NaBH4.

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