Synthesis of a novel magnetic Caragana korshinskii biochar/Mg–Al layered double hydroxide composite and its strong adsorption of phosphate in aqueous solutions

Abstract

Phosphate pollution of aquatic ecosystems is of great concern and requires the development of high-performance materials for effective pollution treatment. To realize efficient phosphate removal from aqueous solution, an easily separable magnetic (Fe₃O₄) Caragana korshinskii biochar/Mg–Al layered double hydroxide composite (denoted as FCB/MAC) was synthesized via two-step electro-assisted modification for the first time. Subsequently, the physical and chemical properties of FCB/MAC were characterized. Furthermore, the sorption mechanism for phosphate removal was investigated in detail. The results indicated that Fe₃O₄ and the Mg–Al layered double hydroxide were successfully embedded in the biochar matrix. Moreover, FCB/MAC exhibited a high phosphate adsorption capacity and excellent magnetic properties for easy recovery. The maximum phosphate sorption capacity of FCB/MAC was 252.88 mg g⁻¹, which is much higher than the capacities of most magnetic phosphate adsorbents. In addition, the adsorption kinetics and isotherms indicated that phosphate adsorption by FCB/MAC was controlled by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm model. The phosphate adsorption mechanism involves anion exchange, electrostatic attraction, and ligand exchange. After five adsorption–desorption cycles, the phosphate adsorption capacity of FCB/MAC was 25.71 mg g⁻¹ with 51.43% removal efficiency and high recyclability. Thus, the composite prepared in this study is a promising adsorbent for phosphate removal from aqueous solution, and this work provides an excellent reference for constructing novel biochar-based phosphate adsorbents.