Oyster shell facilitates the green production of nitrogen-doped porous biochar from macroalgae: a case study for removing atrazine from water

• Published in: Biochar (Online) Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Song, Liying, Cheng, Hu, Liu, Cuiying, Ji, Rongting, Yao, Shi, Cao, Huihui, Li, Yi, Bian, Yongrong, Jiang, Xin, Ćwieląg-Piasecka, Irmina, Song, Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 11.09.2024; Springer
• Subjects: Agriculture; Atrazine; Ceramics; Co-pyrolysis; Composites; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fossil Fuels (incl. Carbon Capture); Glass; Macroalgae; Natural Materials; Original Research; Oyster shell; Renewable and Green Energy; Revolutionizing Environmental and Energy Sustainability with Cutting-Edge Biochar-Based Catalytic and Remediation Applications; Soil Science & Conservation; Sorption; Oyster shell; Sorption; Co-pyrolysis; Macroalgae; Atrazine
• ISSN: 2524-7867; 2524-7867
• DOI: 10.1007/s42773-024-00372-9

Low-cost and green preparation of efficient sorbents is critical to the removal of organic contaminants during water treatment. In this study, the co-pyrolysis of macroalgae and oyster shell was designed to synthesize nitrogen-doped porous biochars for sorption removal of atrazine from water. Oyster shell played a significant role in opening pores in macroalgae-derived biochars, resulting in the surface area of the macroalgae ( Enteromorpha prolifera and Ulva lactuca ) and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous as high as 1501.80 m 2 g −1 and 1067.18 m 2 g −1 , the pore volume reached 1.04 cm 3 g −1 and 0.93 cm 3 g −1 , and O/C decreased to 0.09 and 0.08, respectively. The sorption capacity of atrazine to nitrogen-doped porous biochars (the Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous) reached 312.06 mg g −1 and 340.52 mg g −1 . Pore-filling, hydrogen bonding, π-π or p -π stacking and electrostatic interaction dominated the multilayer sorption process. Moreover, the nitrogen-doped porous biochars showed great performance in cyclic reusability, and the Enteromorpha prolifera , Ulva lactuca and oyster shell co-pyrolyzed carbonaceous sorption capacity still reached 246.13 mg g −1 and 255.97 mg g −1 , respectively. Thus, this study suggested that it is feasible and efficient to remove organic contaminants with the nitrogen-doped porous biochars co-pyrolyzed from macroalgae and oyster shell, providing a potential green resource utilization of aquatic wastes for environmental remediation. Graphical Abstract Highlights Nitrogen-doped porous biochars (NPBs) were derived from natural wastes. Oyster shell enhanced the micropore and mesopore structures of NPBs. Physical sorption dominated atrazine sorption onto the NPBs.