Activated carbon derived from spherical hydrochar functionalized with triethylenetetramine: synthesis, characterizations, and adsorption application

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigated the adsorption capacities of various contaminants on glucose-derived hydrochar (GH) and glucose-activated carbon (GAC) functionalized with triethylenetetramine (TETA). The two-stage synthesis process consisted of (1) hydrothermal carbonization using various TETA concentrations (1%–5%) to create TETA-functionalized GHs, and (2) chemical activation with NaOH to produce TETA-GACs. The basic properties of the adsorbents were examined using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The adsorption characteristics of the GH and GAC samples toward two heavy metal ions (Pb