A lignin-biochar with high oxygen-containing groups for adsorbing lead ion prepared by simultaneous oxidization and carbonization

A lignin-biochar with high acidic oxygen-containing groups was produced via a facile simultaneous oxidization and carbonization of pulping lignin by using sulfuric acid for the first time. The lignin-biochars were investigated by C-13 NMR, FTIR and XPS, and results demonstrated that treatment by sulfuric acid could oxidize part of aromatic ring side chain to introduce high acidic oxygen-containing group, especially carboxyl group. Their total acidic oxygen-containing groups of lignin-biochar including single bond -COOH and Ar-OH reached 8.64 mmol/g. Adsorption experiments were carried and the maximum adsorption capacity of lignin-biochar for Pb2+ reached 679 mg/g, which was significantly higher than other lignin-based or carbon adsorbents. Moreover, it could maintain high removal rate at high adsorption capacity. It also demonstrated that adsorption capability was proportional to the accessible carboxyl groups.