Laser ablation in liquid (LAL), one of the promising pathways to produce nanoparticles, is used herein for the modification of abundant biowaste, calcium lignosulfonate (CLS) and adorning it by palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs). The ensuing Pdx/CLS nanocomposite, fabricated via a simple stirring method, is deployed for the hydrogen storage and environmental cleanup studies. The morphology and surface characterization of resultant nanocomposite were assessed via XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, FTIR and BET. The analysis results suggest that LAL and stirring method managed to fabricated Pd NPs and Pdx/CLS nanocomposite, respectively. The BET results determined that surface properties of Pdx/CLS are significantly increased in comparison starting CLS, which is an obvious advantage for electrochemical investigation. The electrodes were prepared by drop cast method and utilized for hydrogen storage investigation via cyclic voltammetry (CV). SEM image of the ensuing electrodes shows rough structure offer easy access of active cites at the surface between electrodes and electrolyte medium. Hydrogen storage capacity about 5.8 Cg-1 confirmed that Pd NPs serve as active sites for the adsorption of hydrogen. Additionally, the novel, sustainable and reusable nanocomposite also exhibits superior catalytic activity towards the reduction of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution in a short time; the synthesized nanocatalyst could be reused for at least eight successive runs.
