Lignin-based materials have been extensively utilized in wastewater treatment; however, their adsorption properties and mechanisms require further investigation. In this study, we examined the adsorption properties of methylene blue (MB) by lignin particles recovered from the by-products of gamma-valerolactone-assisted alkali pretreatment. The results found that the removal rate of MB increased with the dosage of lignin particle increased, following the order AAL > AGS > ASH. Among them, the maximum removal rate of MB reached 88.09 mg/g at the dosage of AGS of 100 mg. The results attributed to an increase in aromaticity level of lignin and higher average aperture which caused by the introduction of GVL during the pretreatment process. Meanwhile, monolayer and heterogeneous adsorption contributed to the adsorption of AGS and AAL on MB with a maximum adsorption capacity of 3198.75–4881.01 mg/g. Furthermore, film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion both occurred during the adsorption process of AGS on MB. Thus, lignin particles from GVL-assisted alkali pretreatment exhibited superior adsorption performance for MB, offering a viable technical approach for utilizing by-products from pretreatment.
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