Silver nanoparticles embedded in borate-crosslinked guar gum-bacterial cellulose composite dip catalyst for efficient...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) poses significant environmental and health risks.
• Developing eco-friendly degradation methods for 4-NP is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a multifunctional dip catalyst using a bacterial cellulose-guar gum hybrid matrix doped with silver nanoparticles.
• To evaluate the catalytic efficiency and reusability of the synthesized nanocomposites for 4-NP reduction.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of bacterial cellulose-guar gum-silver nanocomposites (BC-GG-Ag) with varying silver ion concentrations.
• Characterization using XRD, SEM/EDS, FTIR, and BET.
• Catalytic evaluation of 4-NP reduction and assessment of reusability and biocompatibility.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of BC-GG-Ag nanocomposites with face-centered cubic silver nanoparticles (3.6–7.7 nm).
• BC-GG-Ag (2.5 mM) demonstrated complete 4-NP reduction in 4 minutes (kapp = 0.630 min⁻¹).
• The dip catalyst exhibited excellent reusability, biocompatibility, and ease of handling.

Conclusions:

• BC-GG-Ag biopolymer nanocomposites are effective and green catalysts for 4-NP removal.
• The dip catalyst design facilitates separation and reuse, minimizing silver leaching.
• This study highlights a promising approach for developing sustainable water purification technologies.