Upcycling Waste Electronic Chips into Metallic Catalysts for Sustainable Biomass Valorization into Fuel Additives and Fine Chemicals

The rapid growth of electronic waste (E-waste) poses significant environmental challenges and presents an opportunity for sustainable metal recovery. Addressing the gap in E-waste management and green catalyst development, this study repurposes waste electronic memory chips from old laboratory PCs to synthesize metal-based catalysts. Metals were extracted via acid leaching and supported on a composite of metal oxide (CeO2, Al2O3, SiO2) and carbon derived from chitin (CHT), forming the Cu@MO/CHT catalyst. The Cu@CeO2/CHT catalyst exhibited 100% selectivity in the hydrogenation of biomass-derived –C═O compounds, including furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, vanillin, levulinic acid, ethyl levulinate, syringaldehyde, and N-heterocyclic compounds such as quinoline. The Cu@CeO2/CHT catalyst was efficient at the millimole and the gram scale. XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and HRTEM analyses suggest the role of oxygen vacancies in CeO2, promoting selective adsorption of C═O groups. Metal content in the E-waste leachate and catalyst was determined using MP-AES, and the catalyst maintained high activity over at least five consecutive cycles. Furthermore, the use of green solvents, such as ethanol, aligns the process with sustainable chemistry principles, minimizing environmental impact. This study demonstrates the dual benefits of E-waste recycling and green catalyst development, offering a pathway to sustainable biomass valorisation. This work addresses the global E-waste crisis and the need for eco-friendly, scalable catalytic processes by converting E-waste into valuable catalytic materials.