Magnetic Biochar Obtained by Chemical Coprecipitation and Pyrolysis of Corn Cob Residues: Characterization and Methylene Blue Adsorption

Biochar is a carbonaceous and porous material with limited adsorption capacity, which increases by modifying its surface. Many of the biochars modified with magnetic nanoparticles reported previously were obtained in two steps: first, the biomass was pyrolyzed, and then the modification was performed. In this research, a biochar with Fe(3)O(4) particles was obtained during the pyrolysis process. Corn cob residues were used to obtain the biochar (i.e., BCM) and the magnetic one (i.e., BCM(Fe)). The BCM(Fe) biochar was synthesized by a chemical coprecipitation technique prior to the pyrolysis process. The biochars obtained were characterized to determine their physicochemical, surface, and structural properties. The characterization revealed a porous surface with a 1013.52 m(2)/g area for BCM and 903.67 m(2)/g for BCM(Fe). The pores were uniformly distributed, as observed in SEM images. BCM(Fe) showed Fe(3)O(4) particles on the surface with a spherical shape and a uniform distribution. According to FTIR analysis, the functional groups formed on the surface were aliphatic and carbonyl functional groups. Ash content in the biochar was 4.0% in BCM and 8.0% in BCM(Fe); the difference corresponded to the presence of inorganic elements. The TGA showed that BCM lost 93.8 wt% while BCM(Fe) was more thermally stable due to the inorganic species on the biochar surface, with a weight loss of 78.6%. Both biochars were tested as adsorbent materials for methylene blue. BCM and BCM(Fe) obtained a maximum adsorption capacity (q(m)) of 23.17 mg/g and 39.66 mg/g, respectively. The obtained biochars are promising materials for the efficient removal of organic pollutants.