Synthesis of AuNPs@RGO nanosheets for sustainable catalysis toward nitrophenols reduction

A facile, green and one-pot synthesis strategy for the convenient preparation of well-dispersed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) decorated reduced graphene oxide (RGO) without using any other toxic chemicals and reductants is reported herein. The synthesized AuNPs@RGO hybrid nanomaterials were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, Raman, SEM, TEM and EDX analysis. The AuNPs@RGO acts as an efficient catalyst for the reduction of organic nitroaromatics (2- & 4-nitro phenols) in the presence of NaBH₄. This newly synthesized hybrid AuNPs@RGO has superior catalytic activity over any other Au-nanomaterials ever reported. The rate of nitro aromatics reduction is found to be dependent on concentrations of substrate, reductant and catalyst. The mechanisms for the synthesis and catalytic reduction have been studied and discussed.