Iron nanoparticles (nanoFe0) have been used for heavy metal removal because of their high reactivity and uptake capacity. However, nanoFe0 suffers severe agglomeration and passivation issues that hinder its practical application for water remediation. Biochar, obtained from thermochemical treatment of renewable biomass, has been recognized as good support for nanoFe0 to mitigate the rapid passivation and aggregation issues, as well as enhancing heavy metal removal efficiency of nanoFe0. Herein, we report the in-situ synthesis of biochar supported few-layer graphene-encapsulated nanoFe0 (BC-FLG@Fe0) through carbothermal reduction of iron salt impregnated biomass. The structure and morphology of BC-FLG@Fe0 are characterized by electron microscopies and X-ray spectroscopies. The performance of BC-FLG@Fe0 is evaluated through heavy metal batch adsorption experiments. The effects of carbothermal treatment conditions and iron loading ratio on heavy metal uptake performance are investigated. This study demonstrates in-situ carbothermal process could be a promising route for the stable and effective nanoFe0 for water remediation.

Biochar-supported few-layer graphene-encapsulated iron nanoparticles for heavy metal removal

ACS Spring 2022

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