Dendritic macromolecules supported Ag nanoparticles as efficient catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol

•Reduction of AgNO3 using NaBH4 in the presence of linear-dendritic copolymers.•Ag nanoparticles with a diameter of 8–10 nm.•Catalytic activity of Ag nanoparticles for reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

Polymer supported Ag nanoparticles, generated in situ by silver nitrate (AgNO3) reduction under reaction conditions, catalyzed the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol with high efficiency in water at room temperature in the presence of an excess amount of NaBH4. Amphiphilic linear-dendritic copolymers containing a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) core and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-poly(ε-caprolactone) arms were able to load the Ag nanoparticles. The Ag nanoparticles with a diameter of 8–10 nm were found to show a comparable catalytic activity towards formation of the aromatic amine as single product with short reaction time.

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