Highly dispersed iron-doped biochar derived from sawdust for Fenton-like degradation of toxic dyes

Abstract

Wastewater pollution is a global challenge in the field of environmental remediation. Functional biochar as Fenton-like catalyst receives growing attention for degradation of refractory organic contaminants in wastewater. This work provides a step-forward to develop effective functional biochar via revealing the mechanism of surface catalysis. The synthesis of iron-doped biochar (Fe@BC) was conducted through iron impregnation and carbonization of waste sawdust. Highly dispersed iron species on graphitic biochar is verified by multi-techniques including electron probe microanalyzer, transmission electron microscope, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrum and Raman spectrum. Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation above 92.7% is obtained within 140 min. Surface catalysis for generating hydroxyl radical is proved by iron determination, radical identification, and catalyst characterizations. Effective degradation of binary dyes is achieved. Fe@BC is an excellent catalyst with broad operation pH and highly stability. Promising application of the functional biochar provides a sustainable and ecofriendly strategy for wastewater treatment.