Mesoporous biochar derived from bamboo waste: Template/hydrothermal preparation and highly efficient pharmaceutical adsorption

Abstract

In order to explore the feasibility of using template/hydrothermal method to produce mesoporous biochars from real biomass directly for adsorptive removal of pharmaceuticals, six mesoporous biochar samples were produced from bamboo waste through this method and characterized, and their adsorption capabilities for berberine hydrochloride and matrine from water were evaluated. Characterization results confirmed the mesoporous structures of the biochar samples, and the biochars had BET surface areas in the range of 180 to 880 m2/g. Pore properties of the biochars mainly depended on the synthesis compositions and were related to their adsorption capabilities. The bamboo derived mesoporous biochars provided effective adsorption with the highest uptake amounts of 645 and 496 mg/g for berberine hydrochloride and matrine at 0.1 mg/mL and 298 K, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium could be reached in 90 min for berberine hydrochloride and 60 min for matrine on the selected mesoporous biochar. This study provides an effective strategy to produce biomass derived mesoporous biochars as efficient adsorbents in water treatment and pharmaceutical purification.