Synthesis and Characterization of Ferrous and Copper Nanoparticles from E-Waste Using Biological Reduction by Lichen-Associated Bacteria and Their Application in Antifouling Activity

The largest and fastest growing industry in the world is electronic industries and the generation of waste are emerging problem. Electronic wastes are the source of precious metals that contributes 40 to 50 times more than the ore extracted from mines. The recycling of the waste is very important as it can protect the earth's natural resources. There are various methods for recycling e-waste such as chemical, fire, physical, and mechanical method. Currently, chemical treatment is in practice for recycling but, due to the usage of inorganic chemicals, it gives more environmental issues. Therefore, this paper used the biological method to prepare the nanoparticle from e-waste as it is an eco-friendly method. The copper and ferrous nanoparticle was extracted from the e-waste and biologically reduced using lichen-associated bacterial such as Parmotrema tintorum and P. recticulatum. The characteristics of these nanoparticles such as size, shape, and functional group were analyzed using UV, PSA, SEM, and FTIR respectively. The size of the synthesized particle was in the range of 10-100 nm using PSA. At the 2.5% concentration, the synthesis of ferrous nanoparticles was confirmed by the peak value obtained at 430 nm and 540 nm for copper nanoparticles. The antifouling properties of synthesized nanoparticles were analyzed by colliding them with the paint and applying to the iron surface. In recent research, the nanomaterials were able to use to reduce the fouling activity, also prevent harmful effects to the other marine species and the resistance of some microorganisms to antifoulants. This study helps to prevent environmental contaminants by using the copper and ferrous nanoparticle substances synthesized from the e-waste materials with the help of bacterial reduction.