Brewery spent grain derived carbon dots for metal sensing.
Aurel Thibaut Nkeumaleu1, Daniele Benetti2, Imane Haddadou1
1École de technologie supérieure, Université du Québec 1100 Notre-Dame West Montréal H3C 1K3 Canada Claudiane.Ouellet-Plamondon@etsmtl.ca.
RSC Advances
|April 28, 2022
Summary
Brewery waste is recycled into water-soluble carbon dots (CDs) using microwave synthesis. These novel CDs show potential for sensing applications in water treatment and food safety.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Green Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Microbrewery waste presents a significant disposal challenge.
- Valorization of waste streams is crucial for sustainable industrial practices.
- Carbon dots (CDs) offer unique optical and electronic properties for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a sustainable method for synthesizing carbon dots (CDs) from microbrewery waste.
- To characterize the synthesized CDs and investigate their properties.
- To explore the potential of these CDs in sensing applications.
Main Methods:
- Microwave-assisted synthesis of CDs from brewery spent grain.
- Characterization using UV-Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, XPS, and TEM.
- Investigation of reaction parameter effects (time, temperature, pH).
Main Results:
- Water-soluble, N-doped CDs with an average diameter of 5.3 nm were successfully synthesized.
- CDs exhibited good photoluminescence with a quantum yield of 14%.
- Presence of functional groups (hydroxyl, ether, ester, carboxyl, amino) confirmed.
Conclusions:
- Microbrewery waste can be effectively recycled as a carbon source for CD synthesis.
- The synthesized CDs possess desirable properties for potential applications.
- Further development of these CDs for metal ion sensing in water treatment and food safety is promising.
