Magnetic Biochar Research Articles

Synthesis of magnetic biochar derived from waste wood of acacia Auriculiformis for the removal of arsenic

The current study has established a new method to prepare magnetic biochar from waste wood derived from the Acacia Auriculiformis. Slow pyrolysis method was deployed for the conversion of waste wood into biochar. Iron powder was transformed into iron-oxide nanoparticles which were then deposited onto the biochar's surface. The prepared adsorbent contains a high specific surface area of 266.564 m2g−1. SEM images demonstrate the formation of triangular pyramid-shaped nanoparticles in the adsorbent's inner-wall pores. According to XRD peaks, the adsorbent's surface was coated with crystalline, carbonaceous, and Fe3O4. FTIR analysis indicates that multiple aliphatic and aromatic stretching bonds of carbon and hydroxyl bond act as functional groups in the impregnation and arsenic adsorption process. Establishment of best fit model which is Freundlich indicated towards the multi-layer heterogeneous adsorption process. 95 % removal efficiency is achieved with batch study whereas kinetic pseudo 2nd order model represents the adsorption process. Surface mechanism involved electrostatic attraction followed by Bangham equation and Weber Morris intra-particle diffusion and complexation helping in adsorption of the arsenic ions. The maximum capacity of the manufactured biochar is estimated to be 294.1176 mgg−1.

Exploring the mechanism of norfloxacin removal and active species evolution by coupling persulfate activation with biochar hybridized Fe3O4 composites

In situ growth of dispersed active sites on substrates is a strategy for designing highly efficient catalysts for sulfate radical (SO4•−)-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs). Here, magnetic biochar composite (Fe3O4/BC) was fabricated as an activator to trigger PDS (peroxydisulfate) for norfloxacin (NOR) removal, achieving reliable NOR removal efficiency (>90%) within 10 min. Based on the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and BC, the removal rate increases to 0.0265 L mg−1 min−1. Fe3O4/BC exhibited decent adaptability, stability, and recyclability toward affecting factors variation during PDS activation, attributed to the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and BC. The electron transfer of magnetic Fe3O4 coupled with the adsorption and conduction function of carbon skeleton, which overcomes typical problems as crystal agglomeration, metal leaching, and catalysts recovery etc. The electron-rich Fe(II) sites promote the radical pathway by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS, •OH, SO4•− and O2•−), and radicals evolution contributing to the form of 1O2 in non-radical pathway. Under the effect of multipath in NOR degradation, HPLC-QTOF-MS spectroscopy and DFT calculation revealed the possible degradation pathway of NOR. In addition, according to toxicity prediction, the overall NOR contamination toxicity of NOR was effectively alleviated by Fe3O4/BC + PDS system. Overall, this study presents a promising composite in PDS activation and views the active species evolution in the NOR removal system, which is crucial for mechanism study in relevant research in the future.

Characterization of Magnetic Biochar Modified Using the One-Step and Electrochemical Methods and Its Impact on Phosphate Adsorption.

The properties and phosphate adsorption capability of the one-step method and electrochemical method in modifying peanut shell biochar have been determined. The one-step method deposits MgO and Fe3O4 onto biochar through chemical impregnation and regularly affects the functional groups and magnetic separation of biochar, thereby enhancing its ability to adsorb phosphate. In contrast, the electrochemical method is not favorable for modifying functional groups of biochar but can promote phosphate adsorption because of the formation of MgFe2O4 and Fe3O4 using electrolysis. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics data suggest that adsorption is monolayer onto a homogeneous surface and phosphate adsorption could be controlled by chemical processes. Biochar with the addition of both Fe2+ and Mg2+ shows better phosphate adsorption capability than those with barely any Fe2+ additions. It was concluded that the one-step method is a better modification method than the electrochemical method for enhancing the phosphate adsorption capability of biochars.

Easy Recovered Magnetic Bark Biochar for Methylene Blue Removal: Preparation Characterization and Adsorption Parameters Study

AbstractIn this study, two types of magnetic biochars (Magnetic Bark Biochar with protocol 1 (MBB1) and Magnetic Bark Biochar with protocol 2 (MBB2)) were synthesized using pristine poplar bark biochar (PBB) via co‐precipitation. The two prepared magnetic biochars were tested to investigate the aqueous methylene blue (MB) removal performances. MB dye was used as a common pollutant for biochar quality evaluation and the obtained performance in this work was compared with literature. Different analysis techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X‐ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET), porosimetry, Raman spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the obtained materials. Biochars have a microporous structure with an average pore diameter of less than 0.26 nm. Magnetization of bark biochar leads to a loss in specific surface area (from 263.45 m2/g for PBB to 39.22 and 73.02 m2/g for MBB1 and MBB2, respectively) and an increase in total porosity by 85.11 and 12.72 %, respectively. MB adsorption process on MBB1 and MBB2 was best described by the pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model (R2=0.98) and by pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model for PBB (R2=0.9). The Langmuir monolayer adsorption and Marczewski‐jaroniec (M‐J) models presented the best fit for both PBB and MBB2 showing favourable adsorption process. Based on maximum adsorption capacity (qm: 32.98 mg/g) and the highest R2 value (0.96), MBB1 adsorption isotherm was well described by Langmuir model. Isotherm study revealed that MBB2 has the highest adsorption capacity of 49.02 mg/g followed by PBB with 37.85 mg/g. MB‐biochar interactions are dominated by chemisorption regarding the PBB and by physisorption concerning the magnetic biochars.

Green and low-temperature synthesis of the magnetic modified biochar under the air atmosphere for the adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater: CCD-RSM experimental design with isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies.

The accumulation of heavy metal ions in living cells leads to biological damage, which makes the necessity of using new methods to effectively remove heavy metal ions from the environment more vital. In this work, a magnetic modified biochar was prepared under regular air atmosphere and low temperature (220 ºC) and used as a low-cost and green adsorbent for efficient adsorptive removal of cobalt (Co(II)) and Lead (Pb(II)) ions from contaminated waters. The adsorption process was modeled and optimized using CCD-RSM to maximize the removal efficiency of heavy metal ions, as well as was monitored in detail by isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies. The results show that the Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent reached 237.92mgg-1 (single) and 121.23mgg-1 (binary) for Co(II) and 207.21mgg-1 (single) and 106.56mgg-1 (binary) for Pb(II) under the short time of 25min and solution pH of 6.0. The kinetic studies revealed that the pseudo-first-order model was the best-fitted model to experimental data and indicated that the adsorption process was mostly through chemisorption. Also, thermodynamic studies showed that that adsorptive removal of Co(II)and Pb(II)ions followed an endothermic and spontaneous process. The reusability studies demonstrated that the adsorbent could be successfully regenerated with 5mL of 0.1mol L-1 HNO3 solution, and the adsorption efficiency was retaining about 90% after four adsorption-desorption cycles. Also, the results from using real water samples, including drinking water, groundwater, and river water, implied that the synthesized magnetic modified biochar was highly efficient for practical treatment processes. Overall, the results indicated that the proposed magnetic biochar can be considered as a cost-effective and efficient adsorbent for adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions from contaminated waters.

Investigation into the effects of different recycled magnetic additives on anaerobic co-digestion of sludge and straw

The addition of magnetic additives has been found to enhance the anaerobic co-digestion of sludge and straw. Due to strong magnetic properties, these additives can be easily separated from the digestate, allowing for recycling during the continuous anaerobic digestion process. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different recycled magnetic additives (specifically, magnetic biochar and Fe3O4) on the anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge with corn straw. The results showed that the addition of recycled Fe3O4 with an initial amount of 10 g/kg resulted in the highest cumulative methane yield of 295.70 mL/g VSadded, which increased by 79.81% as compared to the control. The results suggest that magnetic biochar with higher carbon content exerts a more noticeable impact on shortening the digestion lag phase time, as indicated by kinetic analysis. With the addition of recycled Fe3O4, the Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina enhanced significantly. Especially Methanosarcina, which was increased from 3.85% to 6.28%, resulting in a 2.43% increase. Furthermore, the predominant aceticlastic pathway of digestion process was consolidated, and the enriched Methanosarcina broadened the pathways of methanogenesis. This research provides a potential utilization strategy of recycling Fe3O4 for accelerating the anaerobic degradation of urban and rural areas solid waste.

Activation of persulfate by magnetic Mg/Mn–layered double oxide–doped biochar composite for ciprofloxacin removal and bacterial inactivation

Removal of antibiotics and bacteria from wastewater is an effective approach to test the efficacy of catalyst and thus address the issues of water contamination. In this study, a stable magnetic Mg/Mn–layered double oxide–doped biochar composite (MgMnLDO–MBC) was prepared using Lentinula edodes substrate. This composite could further effectively activate the persulfates (PS), such as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS). MgMnLDO coupling endowed BC and magnetic biochar (MBC) with enhanced surface areas, adsorption sites, and free radicals, which facilitated the improvement of catalytic activity of MgMnLDO–MBC/PS system toward pollutants. MgMnLDO-MBC/PMS system could remove 90.8% of ciprofloxacin (CIP) with 2.8 times the removal efficiency of MBC/PMS system. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation and intermediate analysis showed that the synergistic effect of nucleophilic, electrophilic, and radical active species–mediated reactions improved the removal performance of MgMnLDO–MBC/PMS system. MgMnLDO–MBC/PDS system could efficiently kill 97.6% Escherichia coli and 99.7% Staphylococcus aureus, and destroy the existing biofilms. The effects of composite concentration, PMS loading, pH, temperature, common anions, and humic acid on removal efficiency were also evaluated. After five consecutive cycles, MgMnLDO–MBC/PS system still exhibited high catalytic performance toward CIP removal and bactericidal ability. Results of quenching and electron spin resonance (ESR) showed that ·SO, ·OH, 1O2, and charge transfer were together involved in CIP removal, with ·SO playing a major role. Furthermore, the double–layered metal oxide (LDO) and MBC present in MgMnLDO–MBC composites exhibited a strong synergistic effect in the catalytic process, which resulted in higher reactivity and lower leaching rate of metal ions. In this study, an environment–friendly catalyst was prepared using industrial waste and its efficiency for removal of antibiotics and bacteria from wastewater was verified.

Porous Fe-doped graphitized biochar: An innovative approach for co-removing per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances with different chain lengths from natural waters and wastewater

Legacy long-chain per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are being replaced by short-chain homologs, which have been widely detected in the environment. To achieve the co-removal of different chain length PFAS, this study systematically explored the single and synergistic effects of FeCl3-impregnation, wet ball-milling and different carbonization temperatures on the surface chemistry and pore structures of different biochars as well as sorption performances and mechanisms towards long-chain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and short-chain perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA). As a consequence, we presented a new method to synthesize magnetic sorbents by wet ball-milling with FeCl3 solution and high-temperature carbonization. Through this process, we tailored a magnetic porous Fe-doped graphitized biochar (named Fe-M−BC900) that contains abundant dispersed positive iron sites with stable Fe0/Fe3C, multi-stage pore structure, highly hydrophobic graphite-like carbon, and O-containing functional groups. Fe-M−BC900 exhibited a high sorption capacity of 10.1 mg PFBA/g and 39.1 mg PFOA/g. PFAS sorption on Fe-M−BC900 was mainly governed by pore-filling, electrostatic interaction, and hydrophobic partitioning. The sorption of PFBA on Fe-doped biochars depends more on electrostatic interaction and is less affected by hydrophobic partitioning compared to PFOA. Finally, we demonstrated that Fe-M−BC900 performed high co-removal rates (>96 %) for a wide range of legacy and emerging PFAS with different chain lengths and functional groups in natural waters (∑PFAS: 142 ∼ 265 μg/L) and simulated wastewater (∑PFAS: 600 μg/L), with a high relative sorption capacity of > 91 %, even after four consecutive recycling processes. This new adsorbent could help water facilities comply with upcoming PFAS regulations if tested on a larger scale.

Rapid Start-Up and Long-Term Stability of Anammox with Magnetic Biochar Addition: Performance Improvement, Microbial Community, and Potential Mechanisms

Rapid Start-Up and Long-Term Stability of Anammox with Magnetic Biochar Addition: Performance Improvement, Microbial Community, and Potential Mechanisms

Removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solution using an MgO nano-hybridized magnetic biochar from spent coffee grounds

An MgO nano-hybridized magnetic biochar (MMB) was successfully prepared from spent coffee grounds to remove Pb2+ from aqueous solution. It was the first time that carbon-based MgO composites were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. At 20 °C, the maximum adsorption capacity of MMB was 321.9 mg/g (pH 5). The adsorption kinetics followed Pseudo second-order kinetic model. The adsorption process of MMB was confirmed by the Langmuir isothermal model, indicating the adsorption reaction was a single-layer chemisorption on MMB surface. XPS, FTIR and XRD analyses indicated the adsorption mechanism included surface complexation, ion exchange reaction and surface precipitation, with surface precipitation playing the largest role.

Magnetic biochar derived from Juglans regia for the adsorption of Cu2+ and Ni2+: Characterization, modelling, optimization, and cost analysis

Objectives: Indian agricultural wastes such as Juglans regia shells get attention frequently because they can be used as adsorbents. This study aimed to prepare magnetically modified iron oxide immobilized biochar adsorbent using Juglans regia shells and investigate its adsorption capacity for Cu2+ and Ni2+ removal from synthetic wastewater contaminated with metals. Methods: As part of the investigation of the properties of the prepared material and its role in the adsorption process, it was characterized with FTIR, FESEM, EDX, XRD, BET, and VSM techniques. A batch adsorption method was examined by varying pH (2–12), adsorbate concentration (10–100 mg/L), contact time (5–240 min), and temperature (288–308 K). Results: A pH of 6 and an initial concentration of 50 mg/L, as well as equilibrium times of 120 and 150 min, resulted in 98.30 % copper removal and 98.10 % nickel removal, respectively. It was found that both Cu2+ and Ni2+ adsorption was governed by Langmuir's isotherm and obeyed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In terms of thermodynamic parameters, it appears that the adsorption of Cu2+ and Ni2+ took place in an endothermic and physical manner. The thermodynamic study determined that the activation energy (KJ/Mol) for Cu was 117.27 and for nickel was 100.24. Using Box-Behnken response surface methodology, the experiments were statistically optimized. Based on the cost estimation study, the prepared adsorbent can be used in metal-contaminated water at a cost-effective rate. Conclusion: Therefore, the prepared magnetic biochar will be useful for the adsorptive removal of Cu2+ and Ni2+ from electroplating wastewater.

Simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation of oxytetracycline in wastewater by Mycolicibacterium sp. immobilized on magnetic biochar

Due to the adverse effects of long-term oxytetracycline (OTC) residues in aquatic environments, an effective treatment is urgently needed. Immobilized microbial technology has been widely explored in the treatment of various organic pollutants in aquatic environments with its excellent environmental adaptability. Nevertheless, studies on its application in the removal of antibiotics are relatively scarce and not in sufficient depth. Only a few studies have further investigated the final fate of antibiotics in the immobilized bacteria system. In this study, a novel kind of OTC-degrading bacteria Mycolicibacterium sp. was immobilized on straw biochar and magnetic biochar, respectively. Magnetic biochar was proved to be a more satisfactory immobilization carrier due to its superior property and the advantage of easy recycling. Compared with free bacteria, immobilized bacteria had stronger environmental adaptability under different OTC concentrations, pH, and heavy metal ions. After 5 cycles, immobilized bacteria could still remove 71.8% of OTC, indicating that it had a stable recyclability. Besides, OTC in real swine wastewater was completely removed by immobilized bacteria within 2 days. The results of FTIR showed that bacteria were successfully immobilized on biochar and O–H, N–H, and C–N groups might be involved in the removal of OTC. The fate analysis indicated that OTC was removed by simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation, while biodegradation (92.8%) played a dominant role in the immobilized bacteria system. Meanwhile, the amount of adsorbed OTC (7.20%) was rather small, which could effectively decrease the secondary pollution of OTC. At last, new degradation pathways of OTC were proposed. This study provides an eco-friendly and effective approach to remedy OTC pollution in wastewater.

High-efficiency harvesting of microalgae enabled by chitosan-coated magnetic biochar

Magnetic flocculation which uses magnetic particles is an emerging technology for harvesting microalgae. However, the potential modification and use of cost-effective and sustainable biochar-based composites is still in its infancy. As such, this study aimed to compare the harvesting efficiency of peanut shell biochar (BC), biochar modified with FeCl3 (FeBC), and biochar dual-modified with chitosan and FeCl3 (CTS@FeBC) on microalgae. The results showed CTS@FeBC exhibited significantly higher microalgae harvesting efficiency compared to BC and FeBC. Both acidic and alkaline conditions were favorable for harvesting microalgae by CTS@FeBC. At pH 2 and pH 12, the harvesting efficiency reached 96.9% and 98.8% within 2 min, respectively. The primary adsorption mechanism of CTS@FeBC on microalgae mainly involved electrostatic attraction and sweeping flocculation. Furthermore, CTS@FeBC also showed good biocompatibility and reusability. This study clearly demonstrated a promising technique for microalgae harvesting using biochar-based materials, offering valuable insights and potential applications in sustainable bioresource management.

Microalgae-enhanced bioremediation of Cr(VI) ions using spent coffee ground-derived magnetic biochar MoS2–Ag composites

Composites of magnetic biochar derived from spent coffee grounds were prepared using MoS2 decorated by plasmonic silver nanoparticles (MoS2–Ag), which were used for the bioremediation Cr6+ ions. The composites were characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman, and UV-VIS spectroscopy. The bioremediation of Cr6+ ions was enhanced almost two times compared to microalgae, Spirulina maxima. Such an increased activity is attributed to heterojunction formation of Biochar@MoS2–Ag composite due to the synergetic effects of surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs inducing amplified local electric field, thus simultaneously increasing the absorption of MoS2 under visible or near-infrared light. The combination of Biochar@MoS2–Ag and Spirulina maxima powder was effective for the separation (microalga-based absorption and accumulation of Cr6+ ions) of photo-induced carriers (composite-assisted to breakdown Cr6+ ions). This study offers efficient eco-friendly treatment of Cr6+ ions by reporting the first enhanced bioremediation of Cr(VI) ions by microalgae using MoS2–Ag-modified biochar obtained from consumed coffee grounds.

Relay run property of immobilized cholesterol oxidase on magnetic biochar for sterol removal

This study investigated the biocatalytic performance of immobilized cholesterol oxidase (CHOD) on magnetite-based carbon (MBC) for degrading cholesterol. The results showed that MBC-CHOD exhibited higher activity and good affinity towards substrate compared to free enzyme and other immobilized enzymes. Mass spectra analysis revealed that MBC-CHOD damaged the main structure of cholesterol, benefitting the further biological treatment. The study proposes a Fenton process mechanism by which H2O2 is transferred to free radicals such as ·OH under acidic conditions, promoting further substrate degradation. This suggests that MBC-CHOD has a relay run property leading to high degradation of cholesterol. Molecular docking indicates that cholesterol preferentially binds to TYR-28 residue and LYS-138 residue in CHOD through hydrogen bonds. Overall, MBC-CHOD proved to be a promising candidate for efficient and sustainable cholesterol degradation.

Nanohybrid photocatalysts in dye (Colorants) wastewater treatment: Recent trends in simultaneous dye degradation, hydrogen production, storage and transport feasibility

Dyes (colorants) are produced globally owing to their need in textile industries and this has led to the release of toxic dye effluents into environment. This is one of the major phenomena causing harmful effects on both human and aquatic organisms. In this review, the simultaneous and sustainable way of dye degradation with both wastewater treatment and hydrogen energy production via photocatalysis was discussed. It was seen that multiple researches were reported on different photocatalysts synthesis and experimentation on dye degradation and hydrogen production. This review further focuses on dyes and their toxicity, photocatalytic materials, hydrogen storage and transport feasibility. Magnetic biochar based photocatalysts showed more than 90% methylene blue degradation efficiency. Metal doped nano catalysts showed 0.072 min−1 rate of organic dye degradation. Hydrogen produced from photocatalysis needs to be safely stored and transported. Containers make and material for effective hydrogen storage and transport needs to be identified in future. This review recommends the future directions to overcome the limitations of existing photocatalysts for simultaneous dye degradation and hydrogen production.

Magnetic rice husk-based biochar for removal of aflatoxin B1 from peanut oil

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination in peanut oil can lead to serious food safety problems. Thus, the development of AFB1 decontamination technology is an urgent and necessary matter. Herein, a renewable and effective biomass-derived adsorbent, namely magnetic rice husk-based biochar (MRHB), was prepared and successfully used for the removal of AFB1 from peanut oil. The adsorption conditions, adsorption mechanism, reusability and cytotoxicity of MRHB were systematically studied. The results revealed that the adsorption characteristic of MRHB followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Langmuir isotherm models, and was a spontaneous and endothermic process. Due to the synergism of carbon and silica active sites, the maximum adsorption capacity of MRHB was as high as 951.1 μg/g, and over 95% of AFB1 could be removed from peanut oil. Additionally, MRHB showed negligible cytotoxicity and negative effects on the nutritional quality of the oil. Thus, this low cost, high-efficiency, and high-safety MRHB with magnetic separation capacity is a promising adsorbent that can be used for the removal of AFB1 from oils.

Adsorption characteristics of magnetized biochar derived from Citrus limetta peels

Agro-industrial waste is an alarming issue that needs to be addressed. Waste valorization is an effective technique to deal with such effectively. Synthesis of biochar from fruit waste is one of the emerging approaches for adsorption, energy storage, air purification, catalysis, and biogas production trending these days. Magnetized Citrus limetta biochar (MCLB) was synthesized from Citrus limetta peels and was magnetized using iron oxide. Magnetization of biochar increases its functionalities as well as makes its separation easy. The removal of Methylene Blue (MB) dye from an aqueous solution is achieved through the use of MCLB. Methylene Blue is a prominent and widely used cationic-azo dye in the textile and printing industries. The accumulation of MB in wastewater is the major problem as MB is reported as a carcinogenic agent. The removal of MB dye with MCLB was analyzed by adsorption studies, wherein the effect of factors influencing adsorption such as initial concentration of MB dye, MCLB dosage, the effect of pH, contact time, and adsorption isotherms were studied. Characterization of MCLB was carried out using various techniques, such as FTIR, VSM, XRD, SEM, RAMAN, and Zeta potential. The adsorption isotherm mechanism was well explained with the non-linear Langmuir isotherm model resulting in a good adsorption capacity (qe = 41.57 mg/g) of MCLB when MB (co = 60 mg/L, pH ~ 6.8, T = 273K). The thermodynamics analysis revealed that MB's spontaneous and endothermic adsorption onto the MCLB surface followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The results obtained from this study suggest that the magnetized biochar derived from Citrus limetta peels has a wide range of potential applications in the treatment of dyeing wastewater.

Simultaneous removal of phosphate and tetracycline using LaFeO3 functionalised magnetic biochar by obtained ultrasound-assisted sol–gel pyrolysis: Mechanisms and characterisation

Excessive phosphate and tetracycline (TC) contaminants pose a serious risk to human health and the ecological environment. As such exploring the simultaneous adsorption of phosphate and TC is garnering increasing attention. In this study, an efficient lanthanum ferrate magnetic biochar (FLBC) was synthesised from crab shells using an ultrasound-assisted sol–gel method to study its performance and mechanisms for phosphate and TC adsorption in aqueous solutions in mono/bis systems. According to the Langmuir model, the developed exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 65.62 mg/g for phosphate and 234.1 mg/g for TC (pH:7.0 ± 0.1, and 25 °C). Further, it exhibited high resistance to interference and pH suitability. In practical swine wastewater applications, whereby the concentrations of phosphate and TC are 37 and 19.97 mg/L, respectively, the proposed material demonstrated excellent performance. In addition, electrostatic adsorption, chemical precipitation and ligand exchange were noted to be the main mechanisms for phosphate adsorption by FLBC, whereas hydrogen bonding and π-π interaction were the main adsorption mechanisms for TC adsorption. Therefore, this study successfully prepared a novel and efficient adsorbent for phosphate and TC.

Recent advances in the synthesis and application of magnetic biochar for wastewater treatment

Magnetic biochar (MBC) is a novel bio-carbon material with both desired properties as adsorbent and magnetic characteristics. This review provides an up-to-date summary and discussion on the latest development of MBC, which covers the progress on its synthesis, application, and techno-economic analysis. The review indicates that the direct hydrothermal synthesis has been catching more research attention to produce MBC due to its mild reaction conditions. Instead of the Fe-loaded MBC, there is a trend of using Mn for the magnetization. For the MBC application, how to improve its adsorption performance for water decontamination, ideally to match that of the biochar (BC) or activated carbon, is important. In addition, more studies on the environmental impacts of MBC and life-cycle assessment decoding the process optimization options are necessary. This review will provide valuable references for the development of MBC and MBC-based materials for wastewater treatment.