The development of a multifunctional 9,10-dibromooctadecanoic acid-encapsulated heterostructure (Ag@Ag2O) as a nanocatalyst against water toxicity

Abstract

Nanomaterials exhibiting engineered surface characteristics have drawn great interest towards various environmental applications. Here, a facile, soft, and rapid chemical synthesis route to obtain 9,10-dibromooctadecanoic acid-coated Ag@Ag₂O core–shell nanostructures (ACSN) using a controlled amount of H₂O₂–HBr is reported. The coating and core–shell arrangement simultaneously enhanced the stability and shelf life of nanoparticles. UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the existence of Ag₂O shell over the Ag core hybrid nanostructure. An analysis, comparing the reduction of various water toxins, such as cationic methylene blue (MB), anionic methyl orange (MO) and heavy metal Cr(VI), was performed. The higher percentage of degradation by ACSN within 10 minutes demonstrates superior multifunctional catalytic activity attributed to their core–shell morphology. The results suggest that this is an efficient and cost-effective method for purifying wastewater from organic and inorganic toxicity.