Highly active and stable AgNPs/ZSM-5 catalyst for room temperature reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The regulation of metal ion valence states to optimize catalytic performance has emerged as a critical direction in precious metal catalyst research. Achieving uniform dispersion of noble metal nanoparticles while constructing strong metal-support interactions represents a pivotal strategy to suppress active component migration or leaching, thereby enhancing catalytic efficiency. In this study, we developed a green reduction strategy using PEG-400 to successfully achieve homogeneous dispersion of silver nanoparticles within the mesopores of ZSM-5 zeolite, denoted as AgNPs/ZSM-5. Under mild reaction conditions (25°C, 1 atm), the AgNPs/ZSM-5 catalyst demonstrated exceptional catalytic performance in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), achieving complete degradation of 500 ppm 4-NP within 4 minutes with an apparent rate constant (k) of 1.20 min⁻¹. Remarkably, the catalyst maintained high conversion rates (>85%) after 16 consecutive cycling tests, showcasing outstanding structural stability and recyclability. These results indicate that the AgNPs/ZSM-5 system not only exhibits superior catalytic activity in nitroaromatic reduction reactions but also holds broad application potential for diverse precious metal-catalyzed processes, particularly in environmental remediation and fine chemical synthesis.