Biochar-based nano-composites for the decontamination of wastewater: A review

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 212; pp. 318 - 333
• Main Authors: Tan, Xiao-fei, Liu, Yun-guo, Gu, Yan-ling, Xu, Yan, Zeng, Guang-ming, Hu, Xin-jiang, Liu, Shao-bo, Wang, Xin, Liu, Si-mian, Li, Jiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2016
• Subjects: active sites; Adsorption; aqueous solutions; Biochar; Catalytic degradation; Charcoal - chemical synthesis; Charcoal - chemistry; Charcoal - toxicity; decontamination; Hydroxides - chemistry; Magnetics; Metals - chemistry; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Metals, Heavy - isolation & purification; Nano-composites; nanocomposites; nanomaterials; Nanostructures - chemistry; Surface Properties; Synthesis; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste Water - chemistry; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Nano-composites; Synthesis; Adsorption; Biochar; Wastewater; Catalytic degradation
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.04.093

[Display omitted] •Recent studies on synthesis of biochar-based nano-composites are reviewed.•Biochar-based nano-composites combine the advantages of biochar with nano-materials.•Nano-particles improve biochar’s physicochemical properties and serve as active sites.•Multiple mechanisms are involved in contaminants removal.•Knowledge gaps in the future development should be studied. Synthesizing biochar-based nano-composites can obtain new composites and combine the advantages of biochar with nano-materials. The resulting composites usually exhibit great improvement in functional groups, pore properties, surface active sites, catalytic degradation ability and easy to separation. These composites have excellent abilities to adsorb a range of contaminants from aqueous solutions. Particularly, catalytic material-coated biochar can exert simultaneous adsorption and catalytic degradation function for organic contaminants removal. Synthesizing biochar-based nano-composites has become an important practice for expanding the environmental applications of biochar and nanotechnology. This paper aims to review and summarize the various synthesis techniques for biochar-based nano-composites and their effects on the decontamination of wastewater. The characteristic and advantages of existing synthesis methods are summarized and discussed. Application of biochar-based nano-composites for different contaminants removal and the underlying mechanisms are reviewed. Furthermore, knowledge gaps that exist in the fabrication and application of biochar-based nano-composites are also identified.