Biochar-based nano-composites for the decontamination of wastewater: A review

[Display omitted] •Recent studies on synthesis of biochar-based nano-composites are reviewed.•Biochar-based nano-composites combine the advantages of biochar with nano-materials.•Nano-particles improve biochar’s physicochemical properties and serve as active sites.•Multiple mechanisms are involved i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Bioresource technology 2016-07, Vol.212, p.318-333
Main Authors:	Tan, Xiao-fei, Liu, Yun-guo, Gu, Yan-ling, Xu, Yan, Zeng, Guang-ming, Hu, Xin-jiang, Liu, Shao-bo, Wang, Xin, Liu, Si-mian, Li, Jiang
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adsorption Biochar Catalytic degradation Charcoal - chemical synthesis Charcoal - chemistry Charcoal - toxicity Hydroxides - chemistry Magnetics Metals - chemistry Metals, Heavy - chemistry Metals, Heavy - isolation & purification Nano-composites Nanostructures - chemistry Surface Properties Synthesis Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods Waste Water - chemistry Wastewater Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification
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Summary:	[Display omitted] •Recent studies on synthesis of biochar-based nano-composites are reviewed.•Biochar-based nano-composites combine the advantages of biochar with nano-materials.•Nano-particles improve biochar’s physicochemical properties and serve as active sites.•Multiple mechanisms are involved in contaminants removal.•Knowledge gaps in the future development should be studied. Synthesizing biochar-based nano-composites can obtain new composites and combine the advantages of biochar with nano-materials. The resulting composites usually exhibit great improvement in functional groups, pore properties, surface active sites, catalytic degradation ability and easy to separation. These composites have excellent abilities to adsorb a range of contaminants from aqueous solutions. Particularly, catalytic material-coated biochar can exert simultaneous adsorption and catalytic degradation function for organic contaminants removal. Synthesizing biochar-based nano-composites has become an important practice for expanding the environmental applications of biochar and nanotechnology. This paper aims to review and summarize the various synthesis techniques for biochar-based nano-composites and their effects on the decontamination of wastewater. The characteristic and advantages of existing synthesis methods are summarized and discussed. Application of biochar-based nano-composites for different contaminants removal and the underlying mechanisms are reviewed. Furthermore, knowledge gaps that exist in the fabrication and application of biochar-based nano-composites are also identified.
ISSN:	0960-8524 1873-2976