Gold nanoparticles decorated biguanidine modified mesoporous silica KIT-5 as recoverable heterogeneous catalyst for the reductive degradation of environmental contaminants.

This current study involves the novel synthesis of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) decorated biguanidine modified mesoporous silica KIT-5 following post-functionalization approach. The tiny Au NPs were being stabilized over the in situ prepared biguanidine ligand. The high surface area material was characterized using analytical techniques like Fourier Transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, N2-adsorption-desorption isotherm, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray Diffraction study (XRD). Our material was found to be an efficient catalyst in the reductive degradation of harmful water contaminating organic dyes like Methylene blue (MB), Methyl Orange (MO) and Rhodamin B (RhB) in presence of NaBH4 at room temperature. The whole procedure was followed up with the help of time dependant UV-Vis spectroscopy. All the reactions followed pseudo-unimolecular kinetics and corresponding rate constant were determined. The reduction rate becomes high in presence of higher load of catalysts.