Green-synthesized Ag-Ag₂S Heterostructures for efficient catalytic remediation of 4-Nitrophenol

The contamination of water bodies by toxic dyes such as 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) presents a critical environmental challenge, driving the need for efficient and sustainable remediation strategies. This study investigates the synthesis and catalytic performance of Ag-Ag₂S alloy nanoparticles (NPs) prepared via green and conventional chemical routes. Structural and morphological characterizations confirmed the successful formation of the alloy phase through both methods. The green-synthesized NPs exhibited a smaller average size (∼5 nm) compared to chemically synthesized ones (∼23 nm), which contributed to their enhanced catalytic activity. In reduction experiments, the green-synthesized Ag-Ag₂S NPs achieved a high reduction efficiency of 84 % within 6 min, significantly outperforming the chemically synthesized NPs, which reached only 54.6 % efficiency in 21 min. The findings highlight the superior catalytic potential of green-synthesized Ag-Ag₂S nanoparticles and underscore their promise as eco-friendly nanocatalysts for wastewater treatment applications.