Sustainable Solid-Phase Extractant Based on Spent Coffee Waste-Derived Activated Carbon Functionalized with 1,10-Phenanthroline-5-Amine for Trace Metals from Groundwater Samples

Awadh O. AlSuhaimi ()
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Awadh O. AlSuhaimi: Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taibah University, Prince Nayif Rd., AlMadinah AlMunawarah 41477, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: In this work, spent coffee grounds, an abundant agro-waste, were transformed into activated carbon, providing a sustainable substrate for immobilizing 1,10-phenanthroline-5-amine chelating agent, to develop a solid-phase extractant for trace metals. ATR-IR, TGA, and XPS analyses confirmed successful functionalization and revealed the material’s physicochemical properties. Sorption studies showed optimal uptake at pH 6.0–6.5, enabling rapid extraction of Mn(II), Cd(II), Ni(II), and Pb(II) within 30 min, with capacities of 13.5, 8.4, 13.3, and 8.5 mg g −1 , respectively. The prepared chelator was employed as a packed sorbent in standard SPE cartridges operated with a conventional SPE apparatus, achieving efficient extraction and preconcentration of the studied ions from both certified reference material (BCR-609) and real groundwater. The results obtained closely matched certified values, while spiked recoveries ranged from 96.00% to 106.80%. These findings highlight the effective valorization of agricultural waste into a reusable, high-performance SPE sorbent with strong potential for water purification and trace metal recovery.

Keywords: spent coffee waste; activated carbon; 1,10-phenanthroline-5-amine; solid-phase extraction; trace metals; ICP-MS; metal chelator; groundwater (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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