Sustainable Design of LrGO–Ag–Au–CuxO Hybrid Nanocomposites with Superior Catalytic and Photocatalytic Efficiency in Aqueous Pollutant Degradation

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

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Original abstract

Abstract Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. lichen extract was employed as a bioinorganic reducing and stabilizing agent for the single-step green synthesis of a quaternary LrGO-Ag-Au-CuₓO nanocomposite integrating lichen-reduced graphene oxide (LrGO), silver (Ag), gold (Au), and copper oxide (CuₓO). XRD Rietveld refinement confirmed the coexistence of four crystalline phases – Ag (56.9 wt%), Au (28.9 wt%), CuO (7.5 wt%), and Cu₂O (6.7 wt%) – Alongside the LrGO matrix, while XPS established the zero-valent states of Ag and Au and the formation of CuO/Cu₂O heterojunctions. TEM analysis revealed a narrow nanoparticle size distribution with an average of 6.03 ± 2.61 nm, and BET analysis yielded a specific surface area of 11 m² g⁻¹. The dual functionality of the nanocomposite was evaluated through two model reactions. In the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) using NaBH₄, the LrGO-Ag-Au-CuₓO (1:1:1) nanocomposite exhibited an apparent rate constant of 0.0078 ± 0.0003 s⁻¹ at a catalyst loading of 0.172 mg mL⁻¹, maintaining stable activity over 11 consecutive cycles. Under visible LED irradiation, the nanocomposite achieved a methylene blue (MB) degradation efficiency of 97.67 ± 1.15% within 180 min, with a rate constant of 0.0219 ± 0.00265 min⁻¹. Radical trapping experiments identified •OH and •O₂⁻ as the dominant reactive species. These results establish Cetraria islandica extract as an effective green synthesis medium for the fabrication of multifunctional quaternary nanocomposites with competitive dual catalytic and photocatalytic performance.

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