Polymer composites and supported silver nanoparticles for environmental remediation and catalytic reduction processes

18^th International Conference and Exhibition on Materials Science and Engineering

May 28-30, 2018 Osaka, Japan

Lee D Wilson and Asghar Dolatkhah

University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Material Sci Eng

Abstract :

Biopolymer composites composed of chitosan and polyaniline were prepared for use as adsorbents and as supports for silverbased nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). The free and polymer supported Ag-NPs were structurally characterized using a range of methods such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal analysis and dye adsorption in aqueous solution. The adsorption properties of the chitosanpolyaniline composites revealed unique structural and adsorption properties with methylene blue according to the relative composition of each component. Composites in the presence and absence of Ag-NPs were evaluated using a dye-based method with a cationic dye (methylene blue) to assess the textural properties and surface accessibility of active adsorption sites of these materials. The catalytic properties of the supported Ag-NPs were studied by examining the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of sodium borohydride. A systematic study of the adsorption properties and reaction kinetics was carried out to provide a detailed molecular-level understanding of catalytic pathway for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of biopolymer composites containing Ag NPs. lee.wilson@usask.ca