FeNi magnetic nanoparticles supported on ruthenium silicate-functionalized DFNS for photocatalytic CO reduction to formate.

For aerobic oxidation, anchoring ruthenium(ii) in the nanospaces of magnetic dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS) afforded a potential nanocatalyst (the complex FeNi/DFNS/Ru(ii)), which showed enhanced activity. The FeNi/DFNS/Ru(ii) complex exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate in the presence of visible-light irradiation. We have analyzed its characteristics by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).