Facile simultaneous synthesis of tetraaniline nanostructures/silver nanoparticles as heterogeneous catalyst for the efficient catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol.

Nanocomposites of tetraaniline (TAN) nanostructures/silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized by an interfacial polymerization method using -phenyl-1, 4-phenylenediamine (NPPD), AgNO and ammonium persulphate (APS) as monomer, oxidizing agent in immiscible solvent toluene-water respectively. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared TAN and Ag NPs were investigated by UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetry (TG). The results of FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the formation of TAN and Ag NPs and those of XRD showed the presence of the face centred cubic (fcc) phase of Ag NPs.