Abstract
Simple chemical reduction method has been used to synthesize the chitosan supported palladium nanoparticles. The prepared samples were analyzed using various characterizations. 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is a toxic water pollutant. The catalytic hydrogenation of recalcitrant pollutant by sodium borohydride is the prime model reaction that can be easily analyzed using the spectroscopic techniques. The catalytic performance of the synthesized chitosan/palladium (CS/Pd) nanocomposites with different weight percentages of palladium, for 4-nitrophenol reduction was also investigated. On increasing the palladium concentration, the catalytic activity towards conversion of highly toxic 4-nitrophenol to eco-friendly 4-aminophenol and antibacterial activity against human pathogens is increased due to non-agglomerative nature of mono-dispersed palladium nanoparticles. The kinetic rate constant during the catalytic performance was found to be 1.95×10−3, 2.41×10−3 and 4.01×10−3s−1 for CS/Pd-5%, CS/Pd-10% and CS/Pd-15% respectively. The nanocomposites exhibited superior antibacterial efficacy against both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. The in vitro minimum inhibitory concentration of the compound against human pathogens was determined. Further, the nanocomposite is screened for hemolytic activity and it proved that the chitosan stabilized Pd NPs are non-toxic on RBCs cells up to the concentration of 25μg/ml among tested concentration.
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•Simple chemical route is employed to synthesize Pd embedded chitosan matrix.•Prepared composites were characterized using XRD, FTIR, HRTEM, EDX and FESEM.•The catalytic hydrogenation mechanism of 4-NP has been completely discussed.•Prepared composites exhibited excellent antibacterial activity.