In this study, straw residue (SR) was prepared from corn straw by a combined pre-treatment method that involved both microbial treatment (Myrothecium verrucaria, Aspergillus niger, and Trichoderma reesei) and treatment with ρ-toluenesulfonic acid. After pre-treatment, the cellulose content of the residues reached 79.3 %, 72.1 %, 83.5 %, and 85.2 %, respectively. The results indicated that Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei effectively destroyed the corn stover structure, improving the efficiency of the subsequent treatment. Following carbonation and activation processes, the SRs were converted into a series of biochars (ACCC, ACMC, ACTC, and ACNC) with large specific surface areas (2343, 2219, 2693, 2672 m2 g−1). The prepared biochars demonstrated excellent performance in adsorption tests performed using tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and sulfadiazine sodium salt (SDZ) as adsorption models. The maximum adsorption capacities recorded for TC (908, 1117, 1216, and 1189 mg/g) and SDZ (930, 965, 1033, and 1083 mg/g) were higher than most of the other adsorbents. Furthermore, the potential adsorption mechanisms included pore filling, π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic attraction. Even after 5 test cycles, the biochar retained over 75 % of its adsorption performance, highlighting its strong potential for applications in removing antibiotics from water.
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