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Bisphenol A (BPA) is an emerging environmental pollutant known for its harmful effects on living organisms. Consequently, the effective treatment of BPA-contaminated wastewater has garnered significant attention. This study utilized waste masks and cow dung as carbon-based raw materials. Subsequent co-pyrolysis treatment prepared the base biochar. Using thiourea as a nitrogen/sulfur source, N, S co-modified mask-based biochar (NSB) was successfully synthesized under high-temperature hydrothermal conditions.
Batch adsorption experiments confirmed NSB’s superior performance over unmodified materials. Adsorption characteristics of BPA were investigated using multiple isothermal models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, D-R) and kinetic models (Pseudo-first-order, Pseudo-second-order, Elovich, Intraparticle diffusion). Advanced characterization techniques, BET, XRD, SEM, FTIR, and XPS, were used to analyze NSB’s surface features before/after adsorption.
The results showed that NSB has a rich mesoporous structure and contains a large number of functional groups on its surface. The adsorption process of NSB on BPA is consistent with the Langmuir model and the Elovich model. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of BPA by NSB was calculated to be 42.77 mg·g-1 by the Langmuir model.
This study indicates that the adsorption process is mainly a chemically-dominated, approximate monomolecular layer adsorption. The adsorption of BPA by NSB was synergistically driven by multiple mechanisms, which mainly included hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, hydrophobic interactions, and pore filling.
The material NSB prepared in this study not only has a good effect on BPA treatment, but also can realize the resource utilization of waste materials. It not only provides new insights into the removal of BPA, but also provides a scientific basis for the design and application of new modified carbon materials.