Facile fabrication of silver nanoparticles deposited cellulose microfiber nanocomposites for catalytic application.

In this study, we have prepared silver nanoparticles deposited cellulose microfibers (Ag-CMFs) with excellent catalytic property. The cellulose microfibers with a mean diameter of approximately 270 nm are regenerated by deacetylation of cellulose acetate microfibers. Silver nanoparticles are deposited onto the surface of the cellulose microfibers by a simple wet reduction of silver precursor using glucose as reducing agent. The morphology, thermal stability and catalytic activities of the samples have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and UV-vis spectrophotometer. The average size of Ag nanoparticles deposited on the fibers is approximately 10 ± 5 nm, and the deposition of the Ag nanoparticles does not change the morphology of the cellulose microfibers. The obtained Ag-CMFs exhibit excellent catalytic activity and reusable character for the reduction of p-nitrophenol by sodium borohydride. Therefore, the Ag-CMFs prepared by the facile method is expected to be an effective and promising catalytic material.