Graphitic carbon nitride/biochar composite synthesized by a facile ball-milling method for the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of enrofloxacin

Yao Xiao; Honghong Lyu; Chengliang Yang; Beibei Zhao; Lan Wang; Jingchun Tang

doi:10.1016/j.jes.2020.10.006

Graphitic carbon nitride/biochar composite synthesized by a facile ball-milling method for the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of enrofloxacin

J Environ Sci (China). 2021 May:103:93-107. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2020.10.006. Epub 2020 Nov 6.

Authors

Yao Xiao¹, Honghong Lyu², Chengliang Yang³, Beibei Zhao⁴, Lan Wang⁴, Jingchun Tang⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
² School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China; School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China. Electronic address: honghonglyu@hebut.edu.cn.
³ BCIG Environmental Remediation Co., Ltd, Tianjin 300042, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China. Electronic address: tangjch@nankai.edu.cn.

PMID: 33743922
DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2020.10.006

Abstract

In order to enhance the removal performance of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) on organic pollutant, a simultaneous process of adsorption and photocatalysis was achieved via the compounding of biochar and g-C₃N₄. In this study, g-C₃N₄ was obtained by a condensation reaction of melamine at 550°C. Then the g-C₃N₄/biochar composites were synthesized by ball milling biochar and g-C₃N₄ together, which was considered as a simple, economical, and green strategy. The characterization of resulting g-C₃N₄/biochar suggested that biochar and g-C₃N₄ achieved effective linkage. The adsorption and photocatalytic performance of the composites were evaluated with enrofloxacin (EFA) as a model pollutant. The result showed that all the g-C₃N₄/biochar composites displayed higher adsorption and photocatalytic performance to EFA than that of pure g-C₃N₄. The 50% g-C₃N₄/biochar performed best and removed 45.2% and 81.1% of EFA (10 mg/L) under darkness and light with a dosage of 1 mg/mL, while g-C₃N₄ were 19.0% and 27.3%, respectively. Besides, 50% g-C₃N₄/biochar showed the highest total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency (65.9%). Radical trapping experiments suggested that superoxide radical (•O₂^-) and hole (h⁺) were the main active species in the photocatalytic process. After 4 cycles, the composite still exhibited activity for catalytic removal of EFA.

Keywords: Adsorption; Ball milling; Biochar; Photocatalysis; g-C(3)N(4).

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Charcoal
Enrofloxacin
Graphite
Light*
Nitrogen Compounds

Substances

Nitrogen Compounds
biochar
graphitic carbon nitride
Charcoal
Enrofloxacin
Graphite