Green synthesis of the Pd/perlite nanocomposite using Euphorbia neriifolia L. leaf extract and evaluation of its catalytic activity

A facile and one-step green process to synthesize palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) dispersed on perlite is reported. In this study, for the first time, we describe the successful assembly of the Pd/perlite nanocomposite using Euphorbia neriifolia L. leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The Pd/perlite nanocomposite showed high efficiency in the catalytic reduction of nitroarenes such as 4-nitrophenol (4 -NP), 2,4-dinitrophenilhydrazine (2,4-DNPH) to the corresponding amines. This catalyst also could exhibited a high activity toward the reduction of organic dyes such as Congo red (CR), Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) by NaBH4 in aqueous solution with high level of reusability. The catalytic reduction reactions were monitored by employing UV-Vis spectroscopy. The structure, morphology, and physicochemical properties were characterized by various analytical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and FT-IR spectroscopy. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.