Gold Recovery from E-Waste by Food-Waste Amyloid Aerogels

doi:10.1002/adma.202310642

. 2024 May;36(19):e2310642.

doi: 10.1002/adma.202310642. Epub 2024 Jan 29.

Gold Recovery from E-Waste by Food-Waste Amyloid Aerogels

Mohammad Peydayesh¹, Enrico Boschi^{1

2

3}, Felix Donat⁴, Raffaele Mezzenga^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland.
² Laboratory for Cellulose & Wood Materials, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland.
³ Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C, 1871, Denmark.
⁴ Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zürich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zürich, CH-8092, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.

PMID: 38262611
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310642

Gold Recovery from E-Waste by Food-Waste Amyloid Aerogels

Mohammad Peydayesh et al. Adv Mater. 2024 May.

. 2024 May;36(19):e2310642.

doi: 10.1002/adma.202310642. Epub 2024 Jan 29.

Authors

Mohammad Peydayesh¹, Enrico Boschi^{1

2

3}, Felix Donat⁴, Raffaele Mezzenga^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland.
² Laboratory for Cellulose & Wood Materials, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland.
³ Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C, 1871, Denmark.
⁴ Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zürich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zürich, CH-8092, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.

PMID: 38262611
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310642

Abstract

Demand for gold recovery from e-waste grows steadily due to its pervasive use in the most diverse technical applications. Current methods of gold recovery are resource-intensive, necessitating the development of more efficient extraction materials. This study explores protein amyloid nanofibrils (AF) derived from whey, a dairy industry side-stream, as a novel adsorbent for gold recovery from e-waste. To do so, AF aerogels are prepared and assessed against gold adsorption capacity and selectivity over other metals present in waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste). The results demonstrate that AF aerogel has a remarkable gold adsorption capacity (166.7 mg g^-1) and selectivity, making it efficient and an adsorbent for gold recovery. Moreover, AF aerogels are efficient templates to convert gold ions into single crystalline flakes due to Au growth along the (111) plane. When used as templates to recover gold from e-waste solutions obtained by dissolving computer motherboards in suitable solvents, the process yields high-purity gold nuggets, constituted by ≈90.8 wt% gold (21-22 carats), with trace amounts of other metals. Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of the process finally consolidate the potential of protein nanofibril aerogels from food side-streams as an environmentally friendly and economically viable approach for gold recovery from e-waste.

Keywords: aerogel; e‐waste; food waste; gold recovery; life cycle assessment; protein nanofibrils.

PubMed Disclaimer

Cited by

pH-Dependent selective extraction of gold(iii) from synthetic solution and computer motherboard leachate using a hybrid nanocomposite.
Abdel-Rahim RD, Thabet M, Abdellah AR, Saleh MO, Fadl AMM, Nagiub AM, Gomaa H. Abdel-Rahim RD, et al. RSC Adv. 2024 Jul 17;14(31):22569-22581. doi: 10.1039/d4ra04476b. eCollection 2024 Jul 12. RSC Adv. 2024. PMID: 39021457 Free PMC article.
Gold removal from e-waste using high-intensity focused ultrasound.
Holmström A, Pudas T, Hyvönen J, Weber M, Mizohata K, Sillanpää T, Mäkinen J, Kuronen A, Kotiaho T, Hæggström E, Salmi A. Holmström A, et al. Ultrason Sonochem. 2024 Dec;111:107109. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.107109. Epub 2024 Oct 16. Ultrason Sonochem. 2024. PMID: 39437616 Free PMC article.

References

1. P. Goodman, Gold Bull. 2002, 35, 21.
1. D. T. Thompson, Nano Today 2007, 2, 40.
1. M. Aamir, K. Giasin, M. Tolouei‐Rad, A. Vafadar, J. Mater. Res. Technol. 2020, 9, 12484.
1. B. Satpathy, S. Jena, S. Das, K. Das, Int. Mater. Rev. 2022, 68 , 825.
1. I. Hammami, N. M. Alabdallah, J. King Saud Univ., Sci. 2021, 33, 101560.

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

Substances

Actions
Actions
Actions

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
- Wiley

[1] P. Goodman, Gold Bull. 2002, 35, 21.

[2] P. Goodman, Gold Bull. 2002, 35, 21.

[3] D. T. Thompson, Nano Today 2007, 2, 40.

[4] D. T. Thompson, Nano Today 2007, 2, 40.

[5] M. Aamir, K. Giasin, M. Tolouei‐Rad, A. Vafadar, J. Mater. Res. Technol. 2020, 9, 12484.

[6] M. Aamir, K. Giasin, M. Tolouei‐Rad, A. Vafadar, J. Mater. Res. Technol. 2020, 9, 12484.

[7] B. Satpathy, S. Jena, S. Das, K. Das, Int. Mater. Rev. 2022, 68 , 825.

[8] B. Satpathy, S. Jena, S. Das, K. Das, Int. Mater. Rev. 2022, 68 , 825.

[9] I. Hammami, N. M. Alabdallah, J. King Saud Univ., Sci. 2021, 33, 101560.

[10] I. Hammami, N. M. Alabdallah, J. King Saud Univ., Sci. 2021, 33, 101560.

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Gold Recovery from E-Waste by Food-Waste Amyloid Aerogels

Affiliations

Gold Recovery from E-Waste by Food-Waste Amyloid Aerogels

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Similar articles

Cited by

References

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Abstract

Similar articles

Cited by

References

MeSH terms

Substances

Related information

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources