Cooking oil waste from AYAMAS as a carbon source in forming multilayer graphene films

ABSTRACT

Industrial oil waste has become a novel carbon source for graphene due to its carbon-rich and renewable nature. A new approach was proposed to produce multilayer graphene from waste industrial cooking oil (WICO) sourced from project collaborators, the AYAMAS Food Corporation Sdn Bhd. Graphene was synthesized from WICO through a double thermal chemical vapor deposition (DT-CVD) method. Nickel foil was used as a substrate to initiate the process. The amount of WICO added was varied by 10 µL increments, ranging from 10 to 50 µL. The precursor and deposition temperatures were fixed at 350°C and 1000°C, respectively. Eventually, precipitation and segregation resulted in the formation of graphene. Raman spectroscopy analysis of the graphene obtained revealed an I_2D/I_G ratio of less than 0.5, indicating its multilayered nature. Besides, it has 4 graphene layers by calculating the number of atomic layers. This finding was further supported by outcomes shown through Ultraviolet – visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, where sharp peaks of 30 µL and 40 µL were observed at 250 nm. Finally, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) representative images demonstrated an inverse relationship between layer numbers and surface roughness in high-WICO graphene, where a gain in layers smoothened rather than roughened its appearance. Multilayer graphene has high conductivity and a wide bandgap. These properties are applicable in electrical and thermal applications. Through a method known as DT-CVD, it was achievable to successfully produce multilayer graphene by using the usage of AYAMAS, which is usage from the frying oil industry, as a carbon source.

KEYWORDS:

• Carbon
• graphene
• waste oil
• Nickel foil
• CVD method

Nomenclature

AFM	=	Atomic Force Microscopy
CVD	=	Chemical Vapour Deposition
DT-CVD	=	Double Thermal Chemical Vapour Deposition
GO	=	Graphene Oxide
nm	=	Nanometer
Ni	=	Nickel
scc/m	=	standard cubic centimeter per minute
UV-Vis	=	Ultraviolet – visible spectroscopy
WICO	=	Waste Industrial Cooking Oil
µL	=	Microlitre
2D	=	Two-Dimensional

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, Research Management Centre (RMC), GIP grants (600-RMC/GIP 5/3 (167/2021)), and Institute of Science (IOS) Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

M. Z. Nurfazianawatie

M. Z. Nurfazianawatie is a postgraduate student currently undertaking her master's degree under Faculty of Applied Sciences, UiTM Shah Alam. She pursues her study in Physics and Materials study focusing on Carbon Nanomaterials from waste of industrial cooking oil transform to graphene film. She holds a bachelor's degree in Materials Technology from Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

H. Omar

H. Omar is currently a PhD candidates focusing research in carbon based nanomaterials and application in renewable energy. She graduated her Bachelor in Science (Industrial Physics) and MSc in Material Physics on metal oxide application from Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam. She is interested and focusing in research field of nanomaterials and renewable energy based carbon nanomaterials.

N. F. Rosman

N. F. Rosman, a Malaysian researcher and academic, earned a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in nanotechnology and material science. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in nanotechnology, exploring graphene-derived agrowaste's potential for sustainable practices and technology.

N. S. A. Malek

N. S. A. Malek is a doctoral candidate pursuing her Ph.D. in Science at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Her research interests encompass developing and characterising sustainable polymer-based nanocomposite materials for fruit packaging and wastewater treatment applications. She earned her bachelor's degree and master's degree in Materials Technology from Universiti Teknologi MARA, focusing on fabricating biopolymer nanocomposites, primarily on polylactic acid incorporating zinc oxide and cinnamon for fruit packaging applications. Her current doctoral research bridges nanomaterial science and practical manufacturing, exploring nanocomposite applications in packaging and membranes via 3D printing utilising carbon-based materials.

A. N. Afaah

A. N. Afaah received a bachelor in Physics and master’s degree in Science from Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Presently, she is a Ph.D. student in Science, working on the synthesis of graphene from waste and focused on the development of chemical sensor.

I. Buniyamin

I. Buniyamin holds the position of a senior research officer at Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia. Her primary research focus revolves around the development and characterization of nanochemistry, with a particular emphasis on the biosynthesis of metal oxides. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Chemistry from Universiti Teknologi MARA. Currently, her research is centered on the green synthesis of metal oxide, specifically tin oxide nanoparticles derived from plant extracts. These biosynthesized tin oxide nanoparticles are being investigated for their potential application in photocatalytic processes aimed at water remediation.

M. J. Salifairus

M. J. Salifairus is a young researcher in nanomaterials research, renowned for his significant contributions to the advancement of carbon-based materials, particularly graphene and carbon nanotubes. Currently holding the esteemed position of Senior Science Officer at the Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, He has cemented his status as a young researcher in the study of nanomaterials. He has published an impressive collection of 21 articles in reputable journals and proceedings, showcasing the depth of his insights and the impact of his work on the scientific community.

M. F. Malek

M. F. Malek obtained Ph.D. from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia in 2017. He received his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Physics and masters in electrical engineering from UiTM, Malaysia in 2008 and 2012, respectively. He is currently the Head of Electroactive Material Research (EMR), Centre for Functional Materials & Nanotechnology (CFMN) in Institute of Science (IOS), UiTM Shah Alam. He is also a senior lecturer at the faculty of Applied Sciences. His field of research covers nanomaterials and nano optoelectronic devices. He has published more than 100 papers in referred international journals and conference proceedings with an h index of 21.

M. M. Mahat

M. M. Mahat is an Associate Professor of Materials Science in the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FSG) at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Malaysia. He also holds a position as Head of Research Communications and Visibility at the Office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) of UiTM. He joined FSG in 2010 after completing his Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering (Materials) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, and a first-class honors degree in Materials Technology from UiTM in 2008. He completed his PhD in 2016 and started to form his research group, addressing the challenges of bioelectronic materials and utilizing fabrics as substrates for improvements in flexibility and other functionalities.

M. Rusop

M. Rusop received his Bachelor of Engineering and Ph.D. of Engineering from Nagoya University and Nagoya Institute of Technology respectively. He joined the Institute of Science (IOS) at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in 2005. He is the founder of the NANO-SciTech Centre, Institute of Science and NANO-ElecTronic Centre, College of Engineering, UiTM. For his research in materials, Prof. Rusop has been recognized as the Top 2% researcher in this field in 2022. His research majors are in the field of opto-electronic devices and nanotechnology for renewable energy. His research ranges from fundamental research to its potential applications. The emergence of the nano-oxide based, and nano-carbon based has been motivated towards producing electronic devices such as solar cell, sensor, transistor, and others. He has published more than 1000 articles in impactful journals and has been awarded with various medals in innovation and invention exhibitions.

N. A. Asli

N. A. Asli is a distinguished researcher in the field of nanomaterials and nanotechnology, specializing in carbon-based nanomaterials, nanocoating and nanocomposites. She earned her Ph.D. in Nanomaterials from the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Her passion for nanomaterials and their potential to revolutionize industries led her to pursue advanced studies in Materials Science. During her doctoral research, she focused on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes with controlled properties, setting the foundation for her groundbreaking career. Pursuing her interest and focuses on efforts to the innovative synthesis of carbon-based nanomaterials from various waste sources. Her research focuses on harnessing waste materials, such as agricultural residues and industrial byproducts, to create valuable carbon-based nanomaterials like graphene.