One-step fabrication of highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles decorated N-doped reduced graphene oxide heterogeneous nanostructure for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Abstract

Inspired by the high catalytic activity of Ag nanopartilces (NPs) as well as N-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO), the heterogeneous nanostructure comprised of Ag NPs and N-rGO is expected to be an excellent catalyst. Herein, heterogeneous nanostructures of N-rGO decorated with well-dispersed Ag NPs were synthesized via a simple one-pot hydrothermal route. The doping of nitrogen atoms, formation of Ag NPs and reduction of graphene oxide were completed simutaneously. The average diameter of the spherical Ag NPs with a narrow size distribution is determined to be 15 nm. The as-synthesized catalyst exhibited outstanding high catalytic activity with a full transformation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol within 45 s and good stability up to ten cycles. The catalytic reduction reaction has a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 7.7 × 10−2 s-1, which is significantly higher than the other reported graphene based heterogeneous nanostructures thus far at room temperature. Moreover, the resultant nanocomposites displayed superior surface enhanced Raman scattering effect.