Activated Hollow and Solid Carbon Spheres for Enhanced Removal Efficiency of Pharmaceutical Pollutants and Heavy Metals in Water

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 233; no. 10
• Main Authors: Laishram, Devika, Kumar, Divya, Kant, Vishav, Saini, Bhagirath, Shejale, Kiran P., Krishnapriya, R., Janu, Vikash C., Singhal, Rahul, Sharma, Rakesh K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.10.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Adsorbates; Adsorbents; Adsorption; Antibiotics; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Carbon; Catalysis; Catalysts; Chemicals; Chromium; Ciprofloxacin; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Earth and Environmental Science; Efficiency; Engineering; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Heavy metals; Hydrogeology; Ibuprofen; Laboratories; Lead; Metal concentrations; Nitrogen; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmaceutical industry wastes; Pharmaceuticals; Pollutant removal; Pollutants; Pollution; Removal; Soil Science & Conservation; Spheres; Surface chemistry; Wastewater; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water treatment; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; N-doped carbon; Heavy metal removal; Core–shell carbon; Hollow carbon; Antibiotic removal
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-022-05869-2

Heteroatom-doped carbons are emerging candidates for metal-free catalysis, photocatalysis, and pollutant removal. Herein, we report the synthesis of N-doped solid (CS) and hollow carbon spheres (CNB) via a modified Stöber’s method. TEM, Raman, and XPS characterization techniques demonstrated a well-constructed N-doped sp 2 /sp 3 hybridized carbons scaffold. Both CNB and CS nanospherical carbons have shown a high surface area of 360 and 400 m 2 /g, respectively, making them ideal candidates for the adsorption of pharmaceutical pollutants (ciprofloxacin and ibuprofen) and heavy metals (Pb and Cr) from wastewater. These materials have good interfacial interaction with the adsorbate and generate the proper medium to facilitate fast and efficient remediation. The highest surface adsorption (96% in 30 min) was observed for ibuprofen by CS. Interestingly, CNB was more selective for heavy metals at lower concentrations, while CS showed high surface adsorption at higher concentrations. Graphical abstract