Cornell Researchers Develop Eco-Friendly Method to Extract Gold From E-Waste

The process captures 99.9% of gold from discarded electronics and uses it to convert CO2 into valuable organic materials.

A research team at Cornell University has created a chemical-free method to recover gold from electronic waste using vinyl-linked covalent organic frameworks (VCOFs).
The process selectively captures 99.9% of gold while avoiding other metals like nickel and copper, making it highly efficient and precise.
Recovered gold is repurposed as a catalyst to transform carbon dioxide into industrially useful organic chemicals, reducing environmental waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
This new method avoids the use of toxic substances like cyanide, traditionally used in gold recovery, offering a safer and more sustainable alternative.
With global e-waste projected to reach 80 million metric tons by 2030, the innovation provides a scalable solution to address rising electronic waste and resource recovery challenges.