Synthesis of free-standing silver nanoparticles coated filter paper for recyclable catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and organic dyes

The utilization of nitrophenols as raw materials for the synthesis of dyes, explosives, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals has increased the presence of nitrophenols as pollutants in industrial and agricultural wastewater. Similarly, the wide application range of rhodamine 6G and methylene blue enable their potential as pollutants of surface and ground waters. Both classes of chemicals can change water ecosystems dangerously. In this study, filter paper-based silver nanoparticles are prepared as catalysts for reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol and for degradation of rhodamine 6G and methylene blue. This method avoids utilization of toxic reagents and is simple and inexpensive. The formation of the silver nanoparticles on filter paper was characterized using different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. In the presence of sodium borohydride, the silver nanoparticles coated filter paper was able to reduce 4-nitophenol to 4-aminophenol within a short period of time. It has been found that, the nanocatalyst can be recycled and recovered from the reaction solutions easily without losing its high efficiency. Additionally, we demonstrated the potential of the substrate to study the in situ reduction reaction via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.