Construction of novel Ag@SrNbO/LDH ternary hybrid with high catalytic performance towards the reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The ternary hybrid of strontium niobate (SrNbO) and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with Ni-Al LDH was successfully synthesized via the assembly of oppositely charged SrNbO and LDH nanosheets followed by the in-situ photoreduction of Ag+ cations and applied in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The compositional/structural features of the as-prepared [email protected]/LDH were characterized by XRD, SEM, HRTEM, N2 physisorption analysis, and XPS. Driven by the electrostatic interaction, the two kinds of nanosheets are arranged in a layer-by-layer alternating fashion, leading to the loosely stacked framework and the enhancement of surface area simultaneously. Highly dispersed Ag NPs on the nanosheets surface with an average particle size of around 14.30 nm was achieved without addition of any reducing agent or stabilizer. The ternary hybrid exhibits high catalytic activity and stability for the reduction of 4-NP by using NaBH4 as reducing agents under ambient conditions. The catalyst can be recycled without significant loss of catalytic activity up to five successive cycles.