Facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles on amino-modified cellulose paper and their catalytic properties

Facile and robust immobilization of metal nanoparticles onto porous supporting matrix is an important issue in heterogeneous catalysis. This study reports a facile procedure for the synthesis and immobilization of small catalytic active silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on cellulose paper (CP), which possesses interconnected fibrous structure and can be employed as cost-effective supports. Amino groups were first introduced to CP, through a silane coupling technique, to provide stable anchoring centers for silver ions. Small-sized AgNPs without aggregation were facilely synthesized and stably immobilized onto the fiber surface of CP followed by NaBH₄ reduction. The as-prepared AgNPs incorporating composites exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The rate constant of the catalytic reaction was calculated to be 1.46 × 10⁻² s⁻¹. More importantly, these amino-modified paper-based composite catalysts can be easily recovered and reused for at least six cycles due to their enhanced mechanical and catalytic stability.