Synthesis and characterization of hybrid nanocatalyst (AgNPs-Fe2O3) for catalytic remediation of hazardous 2,4-dinitrophenol

Hybridized nanocatalysts (AgNPs-Fe2O3) were prepared with silver nitrate and ferric chloride in the presence of sodium borohydride. The synthesized nanocatalyst was calcined, milled, and sieved for further applications. The nanocatalyst was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the identification of functional moieties involved in the synthesis of the nanocatalyst. The vibrations of Fe and Ag were found at 566, 790 and 892 cm-1. The crystalline nature of the nanocatalyst was determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The diffraction peaks for Ag and Fe can be seen at 2θ values of 30.42, 44.36, 62.45, 42.24 and 53.25. The morphology and elemental analysis of nanocatalysts were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). The particles are found to be spherical in shape. The signal for Ag and Fe can be found at 3.0 keV and 0.7, 6.3, 7.0 keV, respectively. The synthesized nanocatalyst was employed in the remediation of 2,4-dinitrophenol. The AgNPs-Fe2O3 nanocatalyst completely reduced (97%) the 2,4-dinitrophenol to 2,4-diaminophenol within 24 h. KEY WORDS: Nanocatalyst, Chemical precipitation, Impregnation methodology, Milling, Sieving, Remediation Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2024, 38(1), 113-121. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v38i1.9