Green Synthesis of Palladium Nanoparticles Immobilised on Graphitic Carbon Nitride as a Sustainable Nanocatalyst for the Reduction of Nitroarenes and Removal of Fluorinated Substances

• Published in: Catalysis letters 2024-02, Vol.154 (2), p.352-365
• Main Authors: Sampatkumar, Harini G., Rhakho, Novuhulu, Kandathil, Vishal, Kempasiddaiah, Manjunatha, Shirahatti, Arunkumar M., Dateer, Ramesh B., Samal, Akshaya K., Patil, Siddappa A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorbents; Aminophenol; Carbon; Carbon nitride; Catalysis; Catalytic activity; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Contaminants; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Nanoparticles; Nitrophenol; Organometallic Chemistry; Palladium; Perfluoroalkyl & polyfluoroalkyl substances; Physical Chemistry; Recyclability; Reduction; Sorption; Stability; Synthesis; Wastewater
• ISSN: 1011-372X; 1572-879X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10562-023-04341-y

The design of more environmentally friendly nanoparticles as a catalyst for various fields is the focus of present research. As a part of our ongoing research, we have developed an environmentally friendly approach for reduction of nitroarenes, and for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater through biogenically synthesized palladium nanoparticles grafted on banana leaves extract-modified graphitic carbon nitride [PdNPs@g-C 3 N 4 -BLE] as a nanocatalyst. The synthesized nanocatalyst showed enhanced activity, greater stability and good selectivity in the reduction of various nitroarenes with the good to excellent yield in a short period of time under mild reaction conditions. Additionally, a remarkable recyclability without any significant loss of catalytic activity demonstrates nanocatalyst’s heterogeneous nature. The PdNPs@g-C 3 N 4 -BLE nanocatalyst can easily hydrogenate an organic contaminant like 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) of ~ 99% conversion in 1.16 min (70 s) with fast pseudo-first order kinetics. In addition, PdNPs@g-C 3 N 4 -BLE nanocatalyst acts as an adsorbent and exhibited effective removal of a highly toxic, environmentally pervasive PFAS from wastewater through simple sorption method. Graphical Abstract An environmentally friendly approach for reduction of nitroarenes, and for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater was developed through biogenically synthesized palladium nanoparticles grafted on banana leaves extract-modified graphitic carbon nitride [PdNPs@g-C 3 N 4 -BLE] as a nanocatalyst. Further, the nanocatalyst showed enhanced activity, greater stability, and good selectivity in the reduction of various nitroarenes with the good to excellent yield under mild reaction conditions. In addition, PdNPs@g-C 3 N 4 -BLE nanocatalyst acts as an adsorbent and exhibited effective removal of a highly toxic, environmentally pervasive PFAS from wastewater through simple sorption method.