article · Scientific Reports
Researchers have developed a gold-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite by repurposing materials from electronic waste and spent dry batteries. Graphite rods from discarded dry batteries were used to produce reduced graphene oxide, which was then combined with gold nanoparticles recovered from electronic waste. The resulting mesoporous material was evaluated for its ability to treat water contaminated with crystal violet dye through adsorption and photocatalytic degradation. Under optimal experimental conditions, which included a pH of 10, an equilibrium time of 30 minutes, a dye concentration of 10 milligrams per litre, and a dosage of 40 milligrams, the material demonstrated high efficiency. It achieved 95 percent dye removal via adsorption and 99 percent removal through photocatalytic degradation. Photocatalysis proved to be the more effective route, and the material maintained its activity over multiple cycles of reuse.
Disposed electronics and spent batteries create significant environmental waste. Simultaneously, industrial effluents such as synthetic dyes pollute freshwater resources. This study demonstrates a circular solution by converting hazardous electronic and battery waste into a functional nanomaterial capable of effectively removing toxic dyes from water, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional, costly water treatment materials.
The work targets industrial wastewater treatment, offering potential utility for water utilities and textile or chemical manufacturers seeking reusable catalysts for dye removal. The research represents laboratory-scale testing, having validated optimal performance parameters and material reusability in controlled aqueous environments, but it remains at an early, applied experimental stage prior to pilot-scale or continuous-flow industrial deployment.
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Abstract In this study, gold-reduced graphene oxide (Au@rGO) nanocomposite has been synthesized by repurposing electronic waste and dry batteries. This innovative approach involved utilizing the graphite rod from dry batteries to produce reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which was subsequently modified through the incorporation of gold nanoparticles obtained from recycled electronic waste. This methodology marks a significant breakthrough in electronic waste recycling, presenting a cost-effective and sustainable means of creating novel nanocomposites for applications in photocatalysis and adsorption, particularly in the removal of crystal violet (CV) from aqueous media. The synthesized Au@rGO nanocomposite was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersed X-ray, and N 2 adsorption/desorption. Parameters that affect the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of CV dye have been studied in detail. The optimal conditions for CV adsorption and photocatalytic degradation were pH of 10, equilibrium time of 30 min, CV concentration of 10 mg/L and adsorbent dosage of 40 mg. Furthermore, the isotherm and kinetics of CV removal were also studied. The removal of CV dye using adsorption and photocatalytic degradation techniques reached 95% and 99%, respectively. Consequently, the results showed that photocatalytic degradation of CV dye onto the mesoporous Au@rGO nanocomposite is more proper way than the adsorption technique for removing the CV dye from aqueous media. The designed photocatalyst has high efficiency and it can be reused and activated several times so it can be used in real water treatment applications.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54580-1
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