Hydrogen peroxide from tea and coffee residue

Date:9-Jun-2022

Country: Japan

Application

• This project enables the sustainable production of hydrogen peroxide from tea and coffee waste, reducing reliance on traditional methods. The produced hydrogen peroxide can be used in various industrial applications, including chemical synthesis and oxidation reactions.

Description

Researchers from Tokyo University of Science have developed a sustainable method for producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from spent coffee grounds and tea leaf residue. By leveraging the polyphenol content in these waste materials, the team successfully generated H2O2 through a simple, cost-effective process. This eco-friendly method offers a greener alternative to the traditional, energy-intensive anthraquinone process. Additionally, the produced H2O2 was used to synthesize industrial chemicals, opening new possibilities for utilizing biomass waste.

Pathway Description:

The process used in this project involves adding spent coffee grounds (SCG) and tea leaf residue (TLR) to a sodium phosphate buffer. This mixture is then incubated and shaken, allowing the SCG and TLR to react with molecular oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The produced H2O2 can further catalyze oxidation reactions, aiding in the synthesis of various industrial chemicals.