Green synthesis of MOF@Ag nanocomposites for catalytic reduction of methylene blue

Abstract In this study, a novel catalyst (ZBD@Ag) based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) grown on the surface of Zn 2 (bdc) 2 (dabco) metal-organic framework (ZBD), was synthesized using a green in-situ approach. The ZBD@Ag nanocomposite was characterized by various techniques, and its catalytic performance was investigated in the reduction of methylene blue (MB) in the presence of NaBH 4 . It was found that the catalyst possesses outstanding performance even at deficient concentrations and that acidic pH is more suitable for the catalytic reduction. The catalytic reduction of MB completed in 6 min, and the reaction followed the first-order kinetics (K = 0.37 min −1 ≈30.5 s −1  g −1 ). The developed catalyst could well suppress the other similar catalysts for the same reaction, showing its potential to be used for the removal of hazardous materials like organic dyes.