Establishing a productive heterogeneous catalyst based on silver nanoparticles supported on a crosslinked vinyl polymer for the reduction of nitrophenol.

The treatment of toxic nitrophenols in industrial wastewater is urgently needed from environmental, health, and economic points of view. The current study addresses the synthesis of the crosslinked vinyl polymer poly(acrylonitrile--2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) (poly(AN--AMPS)) through free radical copolymerization techniques using acrylonitrile (AN) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomers with different ratios and potassium persulfate (KPS) as an initiator in an aqueous medium. The prepared copolymer was utilized as a supporting matrix for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) the chemical reduction of silver nitrate within the copolymer framework.