Au nanostars-assembled PVA/PEI nanofibers as a photothermal catalyst for enhanced NIR-induced reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The high catalytic performance induced by the photothermal conversion effect holds immense potential in environmental purification, attracting widespread attention. Herein, the synthesis of PVA/PEI/Au nanofibers was successfully achieved, and they were applied as plasmonic photothermal catalysts to facilitate the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The photothermal performance of nanofibers loaded with different concentrations of Au nanostars (NSs) was compared under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. Remarkably, at low laser power densities under NIR irradiation, the PVA/PEI/Au nanofibers catalyzed the reduction of 4-NP, resulting in a 1.5-fold increase in reaction rate and achieving a 98% conversion efficiency within 8 min. Additionally, the nanofibers demonstrated excellent recyclability, maintaining a conversion efficiency exceeding 97% over six consecutive cycles. The PVA/PEI/Au nanofibers hold significant promise for the practical application of electrospun nanofibers in the photothermal degradation of environmental pollutants.