Immobilized Silver Nanoparticles on Ionic Liquid‐Functionalized SBA‐15 for Efficient Reduction of 4‐Nitrophenol

ABSTRACT In this study, a high‐performance heterogeneous nanocatalyst was synthesized by anchoring silver nanoparticles onto SBA‐15 mesoporous silica modified with ionic liquids. The material was comprehensively analyzed through several analytical instruments, including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), wavelength dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (WDX), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis. These analyses confirmed the uniform dispersion and strong interaction of silver nanoparticles with the functionalized SBA‐15 support. The catalytic efficiency of the synthesized material was tested through the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol under mild aqueous conditions. The catalytic enhancement is due to the synergy between ionic liquid functionalities and silver nanoparticles, which facilitates efficient electron transfer. The highest efficiency was observed with 3.0 mg of catalyst, achieving more than 97% conversion within 4 min.