Functional CoFe2O4‐modified biochar derived from banana pseudostem as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of amoxicillin from water

Abstract

The use of residual biomass to produce potential sorbent for the remediation of water contaminated with persistent pollutants has emerged as one of the most promising approaches to substitute conventional adsorbents over the last years. Biochar with diversified functionalities, excellent physicochemical properties and low-cost has demonstrated its effectiveness as a powerful material for the removal of a wide variety of organic and inorganic sewage pollutants, including organic dyes, phenolic compounds, pesticides, pharmaceutically active products and heavy metals. In this study, biochar from banana Pseudostem fibers was produced at different temperatures through slow pyrolysis and then impregnated with CoFe2O4 nanoparticles via an in-situ method to be utilized for the removal of Amoxicillin antibiotic from wastewater. For the best understanding of prepared biochar behaviors towards the selected pollutant, various characterization techniques have been used to investigate the physical, chemical, and thermal properties, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM and EDX), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Adsorption experiments revealed that the hybrid nanocomposite Co-BP350 was the best adsorbent for amoxicillin antibiotic over a wide pH and temperature range, making it a promising material for the treatment of wastewater.