Formation of improved activated carbons from sugarcane bagasse as environmental materials for adsorption of phenolic pollutants

Phenolic pollutants are very toxic and their removal from aquatic resources is important. Adsorption by activated carbon, AC, the best method for of phenols solutions. However, high cost AC difficulty its regeneration after phenol adsorption puts demand on low price materials. Therefore, sugarcane bagasse as a sustainable, bulky fibrous biomass was selected purpose low-price formation adsorption. Sugarcane derived BAC, achieved via an environmental thermo-chemical activation process using ZnCl2 followed pyrolysis at different temperatures (400–600 °C). The formed BAC materials were characterized elemental analysis, simultaneous TGA–DTA, ATR-FTIR, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques. showed several enhanced characteristics including extra specific surface area (up to 2046 m2/g), improved meso-/microporosity dual system nanostructured graphitic-like structure composed few graphene layers. industrial waste pollutant investigated solutions wide range concentrations (50–1000 mg/L). processes (L2) class isotherm, Langmuir isotherm model, physical-adsorption thermochemical parameters pseudo-second-order kinetics. Adsorptions two other substituted (resorcinol pyrogallol) investigated. capacity increased with increasing intramolecular bonding adsorbate in order < resorcinol pyrogallol. present results emphasized versatility BACs environmentally sustainable adsorbent phenolic pollutants.