Preparation of N,S-codoped magnetic bagasse biochar and adsorption characteristics for tetracycline

Abstract

Agricultural waste disposal and purification of polluted water are always the key issues of environmental restoration. In this work, thiourea-functionalized magnetic bagasse biochar (MFeBC) was prepared for tetracycline (TC) removal from aqueous solutions. Firstly, MFeBC was prepared by a combined impregnation and chemical coprecipitation method. Furthermore, MFeBC was characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the magnetic hysteresis curves. For the TC adsorption, the effects of different solution pH level, adsorbent dosage, initial TC concentration and temperature on the adsorption performance were studied respectively. Moreover, the results indicated that the Freundlich isotherm models appropriately described the adsorption process. The kinetic data were better fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum TC adsorption capacity of MFeBC reached 69.26 mg g⁻¹. Hydrogen bonding and Π–Π interactions played a dominant role in the adsorption process. Therefore, MFeBC can be used as an effective adsorbent for tetracycline removal from aqueous solution.