Synthesis and study of graphene oxide obtained from waste transparent polythene bags using Modified Hummers method

Shireen Shukla; Meet Kamal

doi:10.17308/kcmf.2025.27/13011

Shireen Shukla Department of Chemistry, Christ Church College, Mall Road, Bada Chauraha, Kanpur 208001, India https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8470-4177
Meet Kamal Department of Chemistry, Christ Church College, Mall Road, Bada Chauraha, Kanpur 208001, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7355-1087

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2025.27/13011

Keywords: Polythene bags, Carbon material, Graphene oxide, Modified Hummers method, Environment protection

Abstract

Purpose: Plastic industry has seen explosive growth in previous decades over the world. Every sphere of day to day life revolves around plastic products. The used plastic gets accumulated on the Earth s surface and serves as a contaminant causing soil, land and water pollution. Waste plastic needs proper management and elimination from the biotic layer of the ecosystem. Most potent solution is conversion of plastic waste into a functional carbon material. Present workconcentrates on upcycling of waste plastic into economically crucial material that is graphene oxide. The waste polythene bags were successfully converted to graphitic carbon which in turn serves as the base for the synthesis of graphene oxide using modified Hummers method.

Experimental: The analysis was made by studying the FTIR spectra, SEM images and XRD graphs. The FTIR confirms the presence of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups along with carbon carbon interaction. Surface orphology shows the porous and layered structure with an average particle size of 2.74 μm. X ray iffractogram illustrates the crystal structure of the graphene oxide and interlayer spacing.

Conclusions: With the characterisation results, the synthesis of graphene oxide from plastic waste was erified

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Author Biographies

Shireen Shukla, Department of Chemistry, Christ Church College, Mall Road, Bada Chauraha, Kanpur 208001, India

Research scholar, Department of Chemistry, Christ Church College (Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India)

Meet Kamal, Department of Chemistry, Christ Church College, Mall Road, Bada Chauraha, Kanpur 208001, India

Professor (Chemistry), Department of Chemistry, Christ Church College (Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India)

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