Synthesis and characterization of reduced graphene oxide from pomegranate peels, banana peels, cotton waste and corn leaves

In this work, four different types of agricultural waste, specifically pomegranate peels, banana peels, cotton waste and corn leaves, as well as different combinations of the previous biomasses, were used in order to produce reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Reduced graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of sp²-hybridized carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice form with a large surface area, high electrical conductivity, strong chemical stability and superior tensile strength. rGO was synthesized directly from agricultural waste via direct carbonization at 300^oC in a muffled furnace under atmospheric conditions for 15 minutes in the presence of ferrocene as an oxidizing catalyst. Ferrocene is an orange-coloured organometallic compound which creates extensive structural changes in carbon materials, promoting the oxidation of porous carbon to graphene-like formations. The treated material, after cooling to room temperature, was collected in the form of a dark brown and black powder. These powders were then put through further study and analyses. The materials’ morphology and structure were characterized via XRD, FT-IR, SEM and BET analyses. According to the above characterizations, rGO nanomaterials were successfully synthesized from different types of biomasses, each demonstrating the potential use of waste as raw feedstock for the production of useful materials with attractive properties and wide ranges of applications.

Acknowledgment: We acknowledge support for this work by the project “Advanced Nanostructured Materials for Sustainable Growth: Green Energy Production/Storage, Energy Saving and Environmental Remediation” (TAEDR-0535821), which is implemented under the action “Flagship actions in interdisciplinary scientific fields with a special focus on the productive fabric” (ID 16618), Greece 2.0 – National Recovery and Resilience Fund and funded by European Union NextGenerationEU.