Preparation of phosphorus-doped boron nitride and its adsorption of heavy metals from flue gas

Boron nitride, also known as white graphene, has attracted extensive attention in the fields of adsorption, catalysis and hydrogen storage due to its excellent chemical properties. In this study, a phosphorus-doped boron nitride (P-BN) material was successfully prepared using red phosphorus as a dopant for the preparation of porous boron nitride precursors. The phosphorus content in the P-BN was adjusted based on the addition rate of phosphorus. The specific surface area of P-BN first increased and then decreased with increasing addition rate of phosphorus. The maximum specific surface area was 837.8 m(2) g(−1) when the phosphorus addition rate was 0.50. The P-BN prepared in the experiments was used as an adsorbent, and its adsorption capacity for heavy metals from flue gas was investigated. In particular, P-BN presented a stronger adsorption selectivity for zinc compared with other heavy metals, and its adsorption capacity for zinc was 5–38 times higher than for other heavy metals. The maximum adsorption capacity of P-BN for zinc and copper in a single heavy metal atmosphere was 69.45 and 53.80 mg g(−1), respectively.