Facile synthesis of Ag/ZrO2 nanocomposite as a recyclable catalyst for the treatment of environmental pollutants

A green and in-situ strategy is reported for the biosynthesis of Ag/ZrO2 nanocomposite using Ageratum conyzoides L. extract as both reducing and stabilizer agents. Immobilizing Ag NPs on the ZrO2 surface was verified using various instrumental analyses such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The catalytic activity of the as-prepared Ag/ZrO2 nanocomposite was investigated in the reduction of different pollutants such as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), nigrosin (NS) and congo red (CR) in the presence of NaBH4. Furthermore, the catalyst can be recovered and used in multiple runs without significant loss of catalytic activity. The advantages of using nano-biotechnology to synthesize heterogeneous catalysts present a noteworthy area for further research.