Silver (Ag) nanoparticles decorated on magnetic CoFe2O4/h-BN nanocomposites for efficient catalytic removal of toxic nitrophenols

In this study, a series of novel nanocomposites were prepared through decorating Ag nanoparticles on microwave-assisted synthesis of hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN) containing magnetic CoFe2O4. The composite's composition, structure, and morphology were thoroughly investigated using a range of techniques, including FTIR, UV-Vis, XRD, SEM, EDX, VSM, BET, and Raman spectroscopy. The catalytic efficiency of the Ag@CoFe2O4/h-BN nanocomposites in reducing nitrophenols and nitroanilines was then evaluated using NaBH4 as a reducing agent at room temperature. The effects of various factors, including the silver nanoparticles content, catalyst dosage, and NaBH4 concentration were investigated to optimize the removal of nitroaromatic compounds. The results demonstrate the exceptional catalytic performance of the ternary nanocomposite, particularly in the reduction of 4-NP. Notably, a 40 % silver-containing nanocomposite exhibited the highest catalytic activity, achieving complete reduction of 0.2 mM 4-NP within 2 min in the presence of 20 mM NaBH4. The synthesized nanocomposites displayed a significantly enhanced rate constant (kapp) with increasing silver content, reaching 1.160 min−1 for the 40 % silver composite. Moreover, the magnetic nature of the catalyst facilitated easy separation from the reaction mixture using an external magnetic field. Notably, the recycled catalyst exhibited consistent catalytic efficiency after four cycles, demonstrating its remarkable stability and potential for repeated use in the reduction of nitro-aromatic compounds. These findings highlight the promising potential of Ag@CoFe2O4/h-BN as a highly efficient and recyclable catalyst for environmental remediation applications. [Display omitted] •Novel Ag@CoFe2O4/h-BN nanocomposites were synthesized by microwave method.•This magnetic nanocomposite was fully characterized by various technique.•The Ag@CoFe2O4/h-BN catalyst was used for efficient reduction of nitroaromatics.•The catalyst was magnetically separated and reused without any change in structure.