Anchoring of AgNi Bimetallic Nanoparticles on g-C3N4 Sheet: An Efficient Synergistic Strategy for Visible-Light Driven Sustainable Multifunctional Photocatalysis.

This study offers an efficient in situ co-reduction technique for synthesizing AgNi bimetallic nanoparticles. The potential of the AgNi bimetallic nanoparticle was explored as heterogeneous catalyst in photocatalytic conversion of benzaldehyde to benzonitrile derivatives, which serves as a key moiety in pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds. Green catalysis compatibility of our as-synthesized materials was tested in the synthesis of one of the most prominent medicinal compounds, quinazolin-4(3H)-one that too under visible-light irradiation and solvent-free condition at room temperature. Surprisingly, after anchoring AgNi nanoparticles on g-C3N4 resulted in an enhanced photocatalytic activity for both the reactions supressing the performance of bare AgNi bimetallic nanoparticles. The structural and morphological examination of the AgNi/g-C3N4 nanocomposite revealed that the bimetallic nanoparticles are uniformly distributed over g-C3N4 without any possible aggregation. The nanocomposite had improved photoresponse qualities, reduced recombination and an extended lifespan. Following that, our proposed photocatalytic system with AgNi/g-C3N4 nanocomposite resulted prominent product yields for both the reactions. Our findings provide experimental validation of a green-sustainable alternative to replace harsh conventional methods used for the synthesis of those crucial compounds. Our study will lead the way to reveal the synergism of suitable g-C3N4-based bimetallic nanoparticle systems and their promising avenue toward sustainable photocatalysis.