Peanut Shell Activated Carbon： Characterization, Surface Modification and Adsorption of Pb^2＋ from Aqueous Solution

Metal ion contamination of drinking water and waste water, especially with heavy metal ion such as lead, is a serious and ongoing problem. In this work, activated carbon prepared from peanut shell （PAC） was used for the removal of Pb^2＋ from aqueous solution. The impacts of the Pb25 adsorption capacities of the acid-modified carbons oxidized with HNO3 were also investigated. The surface functional groups of PAC were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, Boehm titration. The textural properties （surface area, total pore volume） were evaluated from the nitrogen adsorption isotherm at 77 K. The experimental results presented indicated that the adsorption data fitted better with the Langmuir adsorption model. A comparative study with a commercial granular activated carbon （GAC） showed that PAC was 10.3 times more efficient compared to GAC based on Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity. Further analysis results by the Langmuir equation showed that HNO3 [20% （by mass）] modified PAC has larger adsorption capacity of Pb^2＋ from aqueous solution （as much as 35.5 mg·g^-1）. The adsorption capacity enhancement ascribed to pore widening, increased cation-exchange capacity by oxygen groups, and the promoted hydrophilicity of the carbon surface.

Effect of surface modification of activated carbon on its adsorption capacity for NH_3

To investigate the effects of carbon surface characteristics on NH3 adsorption,coal-based and coconut shell activated carbons were modified by treatment with oxidants.The surface properties of the carbons were characterized by low temperature nitrogen sorption,by Boehm's titrations and by XPS techniques.NH3 adsorption isotherms of the original and the modified carbons were determined.The results show that the carbons were oxidized by HNO3 and(NH4)2S2O8,and that there was an increase in oxygen containing functional groups on the surface.However,the pore-size distribution of the coal-based carbons was changed after KMnO4 treatment.It was found that the NH3 adsorption capacity of the modified carbons was enhanced and that the most pronounced enhancement results from(NH4)2S2O8 oxidation.Under our experimental conditions,the capacity is positively cor- rected to the number of surface functional groups containing oxygen,and to the number of micro-pores.Furthermore,an empirical model of the relationship between NH3 adsorption and multiple factors on the carbon surface was fit using a complex regression method.

Plasma Modification of Activated Carbon Fibers for Adsorption of SO_2

Viscose-based activated carbon fibers （VACFs） were treated by a dielectric-barrier discharge plasma under the feed gas of N2. The surface functional groups of VACFs were modified to improve the adsorption and catalysis capacity for SO2. The surface properties of the untreated and plasma-treated VACFs were diagnosed by SEM, BET, FTIR, and XPS, and the adsorption capacities of VACFs for SO2 were also compared and discussed. The results show that after the plasma treatment, the external surface of VACFs was etched and became rougher, while the surface area and the total pore volume decreased. FTIR and XPS revealed that nitrogen atoms were introduced onto the VACFs surface and the distribution of functional groups on the VACFs surface was changed remarkably. The adsorption characteristic of SO2 indicates that the plasmatreated VACFs have better adsorption capacity than the original VACFs due to the nitrogen functional groups and new functional groups formed in modification, which is beneficial to the adsorption of SO2.

Preparation and modification of activated carbon for benzene adsorption by steam activation in the presence of KOH

A series of activated carbons from Taixi anthracite were prepared by steam activation in the presence of KOH and then they were modified by different methods. The regulation of porosity and the modification of surface chemistry were carried out with the aim to improve the benzene adsorption capacity of activated carbon. The influences of KOH and activation process parameters including activation temperature, activation time and steam flow rate on porosity of activated carbon were evaluated, and the effect of modification methods on surface chemistry was investigated. Also, the relationship between benzene adsorption capacity and porosity and surface chemistry was analyzed. Results show that activation temperature is the dominant factor in the activation process; the introduction of KOH into the raw material can enhance the reactivity of char in activation process, meanwhile it shows a negative effect on the porosity development, especially on the mesopore development. Results of FTIR analysis indicate that anthracite-based activated carbon with condensed aromatics and chemically inert oxygen does not present the nature to be surface modified. Besides, benzene adsorption capacity has an approximate linear relationship with surface area and in our preparation, benzene adsorption capacity and surface area of activated carbon are up to 1210 m 2 /g and 423 mg/g, respectively.

Melamine Modification of Spherical Activated Carbon and Its Effects on Acetylene Hydrochlorination

Commercial spherical activated carbon（SAC） was modified by impregnation to enhance the catalytic properties of SAC in acetylene hydrochlorination through melamine modification. Different modification conditions for SAC with nitrogen were compared by changing the SAC-Melamine ratios. The effect of carbonization temperature on the modification was also investigated. Surface chemistry and adsorption properties of the modified and unmodified SACs were studied by scanning electron microscope（SEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）, elementary analysis, BET, and temperature-programmed desorption（TPD）. Moreover, the catalytic properties of SAC in acetylene hydrochlorination under differently modified conditions were also investigated. Elemental analysis showed that the nitrogen content of the modified SAC was greatly improved. XPS revealed that nitrogen mainly exists in Pyrrole nitrogen and Pyridine nitrogen. TPD showed that desorption of C2H2 was changed by modification. The conversion rate of acetylene was up to 70% under the following reaction conditions： temperature, 150 ℃; C2H2 hourly space velocity（GHSV）, 36 h-1; feed volume ratio V（HCl）/V（C2H2） = 1.15. The catalytic properties of SAC were improved significantly via melamine modification.

Modification Mechanism of Coconut Husk Activated Carbon Using FeSO4 and Fe(NO3)3

Modification conditions determine the surface topography and the active material phase composition of a catalyst.To study the influence of modification on a carbon-based sorbent,coconut husk activated carbon(AC)which was activated using HNO3 and modified by FeSO4 and Fe(NO3)3 was examined.The pore textures and surface chemical characteristics of the carbon materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Brunner-Emmet-Teller(BET),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy.The surface topography,the pore structure,active materials,and functional groups of AC,AC modificated by HNO3(HNO3/AC for short),and AC modificated by FeSO4 and Fe(NO3)3(Fe/AC for short)were systematically studied.Subsequently,the mechanism of modifying the conditions for the carbon materials was determined.Results showed that the surface micro topography of HNO3/AC became unsystematic and disordered.After modification with FeSO4,the ferriferous oxide was mainly present as a near-spherical crystal.Ferriferous oxides from Fe(NO3)3 modification mainly exhibited a plate shape.HNO3 modification could enlarge the pores but decrease the specific surface area of AC.FeSO4 modification resulted in a new net post structure in the pore canal of AC.Fe(NO3)3 modification caused the pore space structure to develop in the interior,and a higher calcination temperature was useful for ablation.The ash content of the AC was substantially reduced upon HNO3 modification.Upon FeSO4 modification,α-FeOOH,α-Fe2O3 andγ-Fe2O3 coexisted under the condition of a lower concentration of FeSO4 and a lower calcination temperature,and a higher FeSO4 concentration and calcination temperature generated moreα-Fe2O3.The same Fe(NO3)3 modification and a higher calcination temperature were beneficial to the minor chipping formation ofγ-Fe2O3.A higher Fe(NO3)3 loading produced a lower graphitization degree.HNO3 modification formed various new oxygen-containing functional groups and few nitrogen-containing groups.Based on the cover,FeSO4 and Fe(NO3)3 modification could decrease the oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing functional groups.These results could optimize the modification condition and improve physical and chemical properties of carbon-based sorbents.

A REVIEW OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING SURFACE GROUPS AND SURFACE MODIFICATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON

This review focused on the recent reports related to the function, characterization and modification of oxygen-containing surface groups of activated carbon (AC). The Oxygen-containing surface groups were briefly described, and the most frequently used techniques for characterization of the oxygen-containing surface groups on ACs were also briefly stated. A detailed discussion of the effects of the oxygen-containing surface groups on the adsorptive capacity of AC was given. The recent progresses in modification of the oxygen-containing surface groups of AC were also reviewed.

Surface modification of coconut-based activated carbon by SDS and its effects on Pb^(2+) adsorption

Coconut-based activated carbons were modified with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The activated carbons, which were modified by different concentrations of SDS, were characterized by acid/base titrations, textural analysis (BET), atomic absorption spectrochemical analysis and Zeta potential measurements. The effects of SDS modification on Pb2+ absorption were studied further. The results indicate that after the modification of SDS, there are new functional groups on the surface of modified activated carbons and the number of functional group has changed remarkably, the total acidity decreases observably, but the total alkalinity increases dramatically. With the increase of surface load with SDS, the Pb2+ adsorption mass of activated carbons increases and the optimal pH for Pb2+ adsorption of the SDS modified activated carbons is 5. The experimental data are simulated better by Freundlich isotherm model for the modified activated carbons, and the experimental data are simulated better by Langmuir isotherm model for unmodified ones.

Surface Modification of Commercial Activated Carbon (CAG) for the Adsorption of Benzene and Toluene

In this work, we determined the surface characteristics of natural (CA-1) and HNO3 treated (CA-2) CAG. Equilibrium, kinetics and breakthrough for adsorption of benzene and toluene by CA-1 and CA-2 were studied. Concentrations of benzene and toluene (mg/L) were determined by gas chromatography with headspace extraction. The data of adsorption kinetic and equilibrium were best fitted by pseudo-second order model and Langmuir isotherm, respectively. The best results of benzene and toluene adsorption from fixed bed were obtained at volumetric flow rate (Q1 = 70 mL/min) using adsorbent CA-2. The study of inferential statistics revealed that CA-1 and CA-2 adsorbents are statistically different at a 5% significance level.

Adsorption of Cd^(2+) in aqueous solutions using KMnO_4-modified activated carbon derived from Astragalus residue

Activated carbon obtained from Astragalus residue was chemically activated by KOH and modified with KMnO4.The samples were characterized by N2 adsorption,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffractometry,scanning electron microscopy,and Boehm titration.Accordingly,the original and modified carbon materials were used for the removal of Cd2+from aqueous solution by batch adsorption experiments.Results showed that the contents of oxygen-containing functional groups increased,and MnO2 was nearly uniformly deposited on the surface of activated carbon after modification by KMnO4.The adsorption kinetics was described by pseudo-second order model.Langmuir model fitted the adsorption-isotherm experimental data of Cd2+better than the Freundlich model.The maximum adsorption capacities of the activated carbon before and after modification for Cd2+were 116.96 and 217.00 mg/g,respectively.KMnO4 considerably changed the physicochemical properties and surface texture of activated carbon and enhanced the adsorption capacity of activated carbon for Cd2+.

Mechanism of coconut husk activated carbon modified by Mn(NO3)2

To study the mechanism by which activated carbon is modified by HNO3 and Mn(NO3)2,the pore texture and surface chemical characteristics of carbon materials in coconut husk activated carbon(AC)were examined via scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).After being modified by HNO3,the millipore character of AC became deformed,and the character of the adjacent pores remained consolidated.The surface manganites of Mn/AC-1 presented as block and reticular fiber structures,Mn/AC-2's surface manganites presented as petty mammock crystals,and Mn/AC-3's surface manganites were observed as gauze nanosheets that interlace to fill in the pore canal.Nitric acid modification was shown to enlarge surface pores but decrease the specific surface area of AC.Mn loading can be used to construct a new pore structure that,in turn,increased the total specific surface area as well as the specific surface area and the volume of the millipores.Mn/AC-2's pore structure was optimized at a calcination temperature of 500℃and a loading quantity of 5%.The ash content of AC was considerably reduced after modified by HNO3.The active materials for Mn/AC-1 mainly consisted of Mn3O4,with a few Mn2O3 crystals,whereas Mn/AC-2's materials were mainly Mn3O4 and some MnO crystals.Mn/AC-3 was exclusively composed of Mn3O4.HNO3 activation and Mn loading modification did not considerably affect the functional group species present on the catalyst.Modification conditions using the same loading quantities and higher calcination temperatures decreased the number of O—H and N—H bonds while conversely increasing the number of CC and C—O bonds.On the contrary,the use of a higher loading quantity while maintaining the same calcination temperature increased the number of O—H and N—H bonds.A higher loading quantity is beneficial for increasing Mn^4+species.A higher calcination temperature is beneficial for increasing Mn^3+species.The results can optimize the conditions under which Mn/AC catalyst modification occurs,thus improving the physical and chemical properties of carbon-based sorbents.

NO adsorption and temperature programmed desorption on K_2CO_3 modified activated carbons

Fuel cell stacks as the automotive power source can be severely poisoned by a trace amount of NOx in atmosphere,which makes it necessary to provide clean air for fuel cell vehicles.In this work,activating commercial activated carbons with K2CO3 for the large enhancement of NO capture was studied.K2CO3 modified activated carbons(K2CO3 ACs)were prepared by impregnating activate carbons in K2CO3 solution under ultrasound treatment,followed by temperature programmed baking at 800 oC.The dynamic NO flow tests on K2CO3 ACs at room temperature indicated that NO adsorption capacity reached the maximum(96 mg/g)when K2CO3 loading was 19.5 wt%,which corresponded to a specific surface area of 1196.1 m2/g and total pore volume of 0.70 cm3/g.The ten-fold enhancement of NO adsorption on K2CO3 ACs compared to the unimpregnated activated carbon was mainly attributed to the formation of potassium nitrite,which was confirmed by FTIR and temperature programmed desorption measurements.Regeneration tests of NO adsorption on the optimum sample revealed that 76%of the NO adsorption capacity could be remained after the fourth cycle.

Assessment of Surfactant Modified Activated Carbon for Improving Water Quality

Effluents containing inorganic contaminants are releasing into the environment untreated despite being hazardous to man and environment. It is costly and unsustainable to use conventional methods to remove them from dilute aqueous solution. Adsorption involving granular activated carbon is an alternative method for treating such effluents. Granular activated carbon is structurally strong, highly resistance to attrition and wearing, large and can easily separate from the effluents. However, its surface is highly hydrophobic and has little surface charge thereby reducing its adsorption capacity for anion or cation. This article reviews surfactant modification of activated carbon to enhance its adsorption capacity for inorganic contaminants and key factors affecting the adsorption efficiency. They include initial concentration of contaminants, contact time, solution pH, solution temperature, adsorbent concentration, ionic strength, competing ions, type of surfactant, and surfactant concentration. The modified activated carbon usually shows maximum contaminant uptake around its critical micelles concentration. Surfactant modification reduces specific surface area and/or micro pore volume but hot NaOH or HNO3 treatment before surfactant modification minimises this drawbacks and increases the net surface charge. Overall, surfactant modification is a simple but efficient method of enhancing adsorption capacity of activated carbon for removing anion or cation from aqueous solution. However, a handful publication is available on the regeneration of the spent (saturated) surfactant modified activated carbons. Hence, more research efforts should be directed towards proper regenerating reagents and the optimise conditions such as contact time, concentration, and temperature for regenerating spent modified activated carbons.

Water vapor adsorption in activated carbon modified with hydrophilic organic salts

Five different kinds of hydrophilic organic salts were used to modify commercial activated carbon in order to prepare hydrophilic carbon materials. Properties of the samples were analyzed by surface area analyzer and SEM-EDX. The hydrophilic organic salts with different properties were introduced into activated carbon and significantly affected the properties of the samples.During adsorption experiments, the water vapor adsorption amount in modified samples increases by 0.57-17.12 times in temperature range from 303 to 323 K and at relative pressure below 0.50. Water molecules combined with surface hydrophilic groups through H-bonding exhibit good thermo stability. The effects of temperature, oxygen content and properties of the hydrophilic organic salts on water vapor adsorption were studied. It is indicated that water vapor adsorption in modified samples is mainly affected by the surface oxygen content. The carboxylate radicals in the hydrophilic organic salts greatly affect the micropore structure of the modified samples, while the metal ions in them exhibit limited influence. Different adsorption capacity of modified samples can be explained with the electronegativity of elements presented by Pauling.

Adsorption of Cu(Ⅱ) from Aqueous Solution Using Activated Carbon Modified with Nitric Acid

The objective of the presented work was to assess the adsorption processes of Cu （ II ） from aqueous solution onto a granular activated carbon （GAC） and a modified activated carbon （MAC） with nitric acid. Available surface functional groups, pH of the isoclectric point （pHIEP ）, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopes were obtained to characterize the GAC/MAC. Factors influencing Cu （ II ） adsorption such as adsorbent dosage, pH of solution, and contact time of the adsorption onto the MAC/GAC had been investigated in a batch experiment. Experimental equilibrium data had been obtained and modelled using both Frenndlich and Langmuir dassicai adsorption isotherms and the data fitted better to Langmulr isotherm. It was found that nitric acid modification increased the Cu（ II ） adsorption capacity to 90.9 mg/ g, which was higher than the unmodified carbon by 41%. Two simplified models including pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second- order equations were selected to follow the adsorption processes.

Effect of acidic surface functional groups on Cr(Ⅵ) removal by activated carbon from aqueous solution

The activated carbon with high surface area was prepared by KOH activation.It was further modified by H2SO4 and HNO3 to introduce more surface functional groups.The pore structure of the activated carbons before and after modification was analyzed based on the nitrogen adsorption isotherms.The morphology of those activated carbons was characterized using scanning electronic microscopy （SEM）.The surface functional groups were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）.The quantity of those groups was measured by the Boehm titration method.Cr（VI） removal by the activated carbons from aqueous solution was investigated at different pH values.The results show that compared with H2SO4,HNO3 destructs the original pore of the activated carbon more seriously and induces more acidic surface functional groups on the activated carbon.The pH value of the solution plays a key role in the Cr（VI） removal.The ability of reducing Cr（VI） to Cr（III） by the activated carbons is relative to the acidic surface functional groups.At higher pH values,the Cr（VI） removal ratio is improved by increasing the acidic surface functional groups of the activated carbons.At lower pH values,however,the acidic surface functional groups almost have no effect on the Cr（VI） removal by the activated carbon from aqueous solution.

Construction of efficient active sites through cyano‐modified graphitic carbon nitride for photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction

The active site amount of photocatalysts,being the key factors in photocatalytic reactions,directly affects the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst.Pristine graphitic carbon nitride(g‐C_(3)N_(4))exhibits moderate photocatalytic activity due to insufficient active sites.In this study,cyano‐modified porous g‐C_(3)N_(4)nanosheets(MCN‐0.5)were synthesized through molecular self‐assembly and alkali‐assisted strategies.The cyano group acted as the active site of the photocatalytic reaction,because the good electron‐withdrawing property of the cyano group promoted carrier separation.Benefiting from the effect of the active sites,MCN‐0.5 exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction under visible light irradiation.Notably,the photocatalytic activity of MCN‐0.5 was significantly reduced when the cyano groups were removed by hydrochloric acid(HCl)treatment,further verifying the role of cyano groups as active sites.The photoreduction of Pt nanoparticles provided an intuitive indication that the introduction of cyano groups provided more active sites for the photocatalytic reaction.Furthermore,the controlled experiments showed that g‐C_(3)N_(4)grafted with cyano groups using melamine as the precursor exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity,which proved the versatility of the strategy for enhancing the activity of g‐C_(3)N_(4)via cyano group modification.In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and theoretical calculations were used to investigate the mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction by cyano‐modified g‐C_(3)N_(4).This work provides a promising route for promoting efficient solar energy conversion by designing active sites in photocatalysts.

Influence of nitrogen hetero-substitution on the electrochemical performance of coal-based activated carbons measured in non-aqueous electrolyte

Nitrogen-containing carbons were prepared by modification of activated carbons.The modified carbons were used as electrode materials with improved electrochemical performance.Precursor anthracite was activated by KOH(KOH:anthracite= 1:1), modified by melamine or urea and then treated at 1173 K to obtain the modified carbons.The porous structure, the chemical composition and the electrochemical characteristics of the carbons were investigated by nitrogen sorption, XPS and electrochemical methods respectively.Electrochemical experiments were performed in an organic electrolytic solution of 1 M(C2H5)4NBF4/PC.The samples modified by the different methods showed differences in chemical composition that introduced varying degrees of electrochemical performance enhancement.The presence of nitrogen enhanced the electron donor properties and the surface wettability of the activated carbons:this ensured a sufficient utilization of the exposed surface for charge storage.

Science Letters:Effect of nitrogen doping on the reduction of nitric oxide with activated carbon in the presence of oxygen

Nitrogen doping of activated carbon （AC） was performed by annealing both in ammonia and nitric oxide, and the activities of the modified carbons for NO reduction were studied in the presence of oxygen. Results show that nitrogen atoms were incorporated into the carbons, mostly in the form of pyridinic nitrogen or pyridonic nitrogen. The effect of nitrogen doping on the activities of the carbons can be ignored when oxygen is absent, but the doped carbons show desirable activities in the low temperature regime （≤500 ℃） when oxygen is present. The role of the surface nitrogen species is suggested to promote the formation of NO2 in the presence of oxygen, and NO2 can facilitate decomposition of the surface oxygen species in the low temperature regime

Role of the surface chemistry of activated carbons in dye removal from aqueous solution

Commercial activated carbons were modified by a series of chemical or physical treatments using H202, NH3, and heating under N2 flow without notably changing their pore structures. The resultant carbons were characterized by N2 adsorption and Bohem titration and then used to remove Ponceau 4R, methyl orange and brilliant blue from aqueous solutions. Surface chemistry was found to play a signifi- cantly different role in removing these three compounds. The removal of anionic Ponceau 4R increases with increasing carbon surface ba- sicity due to the predominant dispersive interaction mechanism. In contrast, surface chemistry has little effect on the removal of anionic methyl orange, which can be explained by two parallel mechanisms involving electrostatic and dispersive interactions due to the basic amine group in a dye molecule. The influence of surface chemistry on the removal of amphoteric brilliant blue dye can also be ignored due to a weak interaction between the carbons and dye molecules, which is resulted from strong cohesive energy from electrostatic forces inside amphoteric dye molecules.