High-efficient removal of tebuconazole from aqueous solutions using P-doped corn straw biochar: Performance, mechanism and application.

ABSTRACT

Due to the serious threat posed by tebuconazole to the aquatic ecosystem, it is imperative to develop a highly efficient adsorbent material for the sustainable remediation of tebuconazole-contaminated water. Herein, a phosphorus (P)-doped biochar from corn straw and H3PO4 was fabricated by one-step pyrolysis for tebuconazole adsorption. Results showed that the P-doped biochar produced at 500℃ (PBC500) possesses a large specific surface area (SSA=869.6 m2/g), abundant surface functional groups, and the highest tebuconazole adsorption capacity (429.6 mg/g). The adsorption of tebuconazole on PBC500 followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm models. Thermodynamic calculations indicated that the adsorption of tebuconazole by PBC500 was a spontaneous, endothermic process with a random increase. Adsorption mechanism mainly involves pore filling, π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interaction. Moreover, PBC500 demonstrated robust anti-interference capabilities in adsorbing tebuconazole from diverse water sources and exhibited excellent reusability, underscoring its potential for a broad array of practical applications.