Green one-pot synthesis and characterisation of hybrid reduced graphene oxide/zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (rGO/ZIF-8)

A green hybrid nanocomposite of rGO/ZIF-8 was successfully synthesised via multi-recycling approach by reusing unreacted reagents in mother liquor. This eco-friendly approach allows for minimal addition of fresh chemicals and thus reduces the synthesis cost. The one-pot synthesised rGO/ZIF-8 powder was recovered by filtration, and the mother liquor filtrate was reused for the next cycle of synthesis. The product yield from each cycle was evaluated by quantifying the product’s mass. Detailed characterisation studies were carried out by using XRD, TGA, FTIR, BET, SEM, and TEM. ZIF-8 nanoparticles anchored well on the surfaces of rGO without sacrificing the product yield. This approach minimises the use of organic linker and its waste product, leading to low-cost and environmentally friendly synthesis process for rGO/ZIF-8.