Catalytic hydrogenation of organic dyes by Ag and Au magnetic nanoparticles supported on nanocellulose from waste pistachio shells

The present study reports the preparation of a novel magnetic catalyst constituted by Au/Ag/Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Au/Ag/Fe3O4 NPs), supported on nanocellulose obtained by pistachio shells wastes, for the catalytic reduction of anionic and cationic dyes. X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the coexistence of Fe3O4, Ag, and Au nanoparticles. The catalytic studies showed that 6 mg and 8 mg catalyst mass can promote the discoloration reaction of methylene blue (MB) at about 94.75% and 98.7%, after only 4 min, respectively. Discoloration efficiency reached 100% at longer times. Moreover, the time required for a 100% reduction of MB or methyl orange (MO) was found to be almost the same up to the 8th cycle of reuses, suggesting robust stability for our catalyst.