Effective and Reproducible Biosynthesis of Nanogold-composite Catalyst for Paracetamol Oxidation

Abstract Pharmaceutical products are some of the most serious emergent pollutants in the environment, especially nowadays of the covid-19 pandemic. In this study, nanogold-composite was prepared, and its catalytic activity for paracetamol degradation was investigated. Moreover, for the first time, recycled waste diatomite earth (WDE) from beer filtration was used for reproducible gold nanoparticle (Au NPs) preparation. The yeast cell debris in the WDE are responsible for Au NPs biosynthesis. The WDE served as both a reducing and stabilizing agent for crystalline spherical 30 nm Au NPs as well as acting as a direct support matrix. The conversion of paracetamol was 62% and 67% after 72 hours in the absence or presence of light irradiation, respectively, with 0.0126 h− 1 and 0.0148 h− 1 reaction rate constants. The presented study demonstrates successful use of a waste material from the food industry for the nanogold-composite preparation and its application as a promising catalyst in paracetamol removal.