Preparation of graphene from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle wastes and its use for the removal of Methylene blue from aqueous solution

Abstract

We present a method to produce graphene flakes (GFs) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle wastes by the pyrolysis method using modified bentonite as a catalyst. The as-synthesized GFs are analyzed in terms of crystal phase, morphology, and surface chemistry. The synthesized GFs have a porous, thin, and leaf-like morphology with a length ranging from a few hundred nanometers to a few tens of micrometers. The XRD and FT-IR results confirm the graphitization of PET and the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of synthesized GFs. The obtained GFs are used as adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. The effects of various factors including, contact time, pH, and initial MB concentration, on the MB removal efficiency are examined. In addition, the adsorption isotherm models of Langmuir and Freundlich are studied. The best-fitting model is observed with the Freundlich isotherm model.