Fabrication of carboxymethylated cellulose fibers supporting Ag NPs@MOF-199s nanocatalysts for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

In this work, we prepared high-performance and recyclable nanocatalysts that consist of small and well-dispersed silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) immobilized onto Cu- based metal–organic framework (MOF-199 s) supported by carboxymethylated cellulose fibers (CCFs). The as-prepared green nanohybrid catalysts, namely Ag NPs@ MOF-199 s/CCFs, were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD and FT-IR techniques. The catalytic performances showed that Ag NPs@ MOF-199 s/CCFs catalysts exhibited a very high catalytic efficiency towards the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. The enhanced catalytic performances are attributed to the improved dispersity, small particles of Ag NPs stabilized by the MOF-199 s, and the porous catalyst structures. The introduction of cellulose fiber further facilitates the reuse and sustainability of the nanohybrid catalysts, showing a stable and high reusability (more than 91% of catalytic activity) even after five runs.