Biosynthesis of Ag/reduced graphene oxide/Fe3O4 using Lotus garcinii leaf extract and its application as a recyclable nanocatalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and organic dyes

In current research, Ag/RGO/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was synthesized through applying the aqueous extract of Lotus garcinii leaves through a two-step method. The plant extract was utilized as agents for reduction and stabilization in biosynthesizing nanocomposite. The green synthesized nanocatalyst was characterized by FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX, XRD, TEM, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the biosynthesized nanocomposite was studied by reducing different colored solutions contained organic pollutants such as 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), Congo red (CR) and Rhodamine B (RhB). In order to verify commercial applications of the prepared heterogeneous nanocatalyst, reusability and recoverability tests were performed in five successive catalytic reactions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.