Ag(I)-Hived Fullerene Microcube as an Enhanced Catalytic Substrate for the Reduction of 4‑Nitrophenol and the Photodegradation of Orange G Dye

We report a facile approach to fabricate an Ag-embedded fullerene (C₆₀) catalyst by the chemical reduction of the AgNO₃ complex encapsulated fullerene microcrystal, which showed an enhanced catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol because of the strong absorption and propagation of H₂ along the fullerene surface. With the aid of visible-light radiation, photodegradation of orange G dye is achieved through the formation of an electron donor–acceptor dyad between plasmon Ag nanostructures and fullerene molecules, which effectively offsets the “electron–hole” recombination. Neither Ag nanoparticle nor fullerene crystal used in isolation could perform this chemical conversion, implying that the metal–fullerene hybrid structure is imperative for performing the catalytic reaction. The obtained Ag-embedded fullerene crystal is characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), associated energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) imaging, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and demonstrates that the present hybrid materials would add a supplemental member to a family of photocatalysts toward the organic synthesis and wastewater remediation.