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Highly efficient and selective extraction of gold by reduced graphene oxide

Author

Listed:
  • Fei Li

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Jiuyi Zhu

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Pengzhan Sun

    (University of Manchester)

  • Mingrui Zhang

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Zhenqing Li

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Dingxin Xu

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Xinyu Gong

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Xiaolong Zou

    (Tsinghua University)

  • A. K. Geim

    (Tsinghua University
    University of Manchester)

  • Yang Su

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Hui-Ming Cheng

    (Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering / Institute of Technology for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Sciences, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Materials capable of extracting gold from complex sources, especially electronic waste (e-waste), are needed for gold resource sustainability and effective e-waste recycling. However, it remains challenging to achieve high extraction capacity and precise selectivity if only a trace amount of gold is present along with other metallic elements . Here we report an approach based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) which provides an ultrahigh capacity and selective extraction of gold ions present in ppm concentrations (>1000 mg of gold per gram of rGO at 1 ppm). The excellent gold extraction performance is accounted to the graphene areas and oxidized regions of rGO. The graphene areas spontaneously reduce gold ions to metallic gold, and the oxidized regions allow good dispersibility of the rGO material so that efficient adsorption and reduction of gold ions at the graphene areas can be realized. By controlling the protonation of the oxidized regions of rGO, gold can be extracted exclusively, without contamination by the other 14 co-existing elements typically present in e-waste. These findings are further exploited to demonstrate recycling gold from real-world e-waste with good scalability and economic viability, as exemplified by using rGO membranes in a continuous flow-through process.

Suggested Citation

  • Fei Li & Jiuyi Zhu & Pengzhan Sun & Mingrui Zhang & Zhenqing Li & Dingxin Xu & Xinyu Gong & Xiaolong Zou & A. K. Geim & Yang Su & Hui-Ming Cheng, 2022. "Highly efficient and selective extraction of gold by reduced graphene oxide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-32204-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32204-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Luke M. M. Kinsman & Bryne T. Ngwenya & Carole A. Morrison & Jason B. Love, 2021. "Tuneable separation of gold by selective precipitation using a simple and recyclable diamide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Zhichang Liu & Marco Frasconi & Juying Lei & Zachary J. Brown & Zhixue Zhu & Dennis Cao & Julien Iehl & Guoliang Liu & Albert C. Fahrenbach & Youssry Y. Botros & Omar K. Farha & Joseph T. Hupp & Chad , 2013. "Selective isolation of gold facilitated by second-sphere coordination with α-cyclodextrin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-9, October.
    3. Yao Chen & Mengjiao Xu & Jieya Wen & Yu Wan & Qingfei Zhao & Xia Cao & Yong Ding & Zhong Lin Wang & Hexing Li & Zhenfeng Bian, 2021. "Selective recovery of precious metals through photocatalysis," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(7), pages 618-626, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Huang Wu & Yu Wang & Chun Tang & Leighton O. Jones & Bo Song & Xiao-Yang Chen & Long Zhang & Yong Wu & Charlotte L. Stern & George C. Schatz & Wenqi Liu & J. Fraser Stoddart, 2023. "High-efficiency gold recovery by additive-induced supramolecular polymerization of β-cyclodextrin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

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