Abstract

A loofah vine-derived activated carbon (LVAC) with hierarchical porous structure is reported for the first time. It was prepared from the natural material by potassium hydroxide (KOH) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) activation. The LVAC has been characterized by SEM-EDAX, FTIR, and nitrogen sorption. The results show that the LVAC has a large specific surface area (904.6 m²/g) and hierarchical porosity (micropores, mesopores, and macropores). The LVAC was used as an adsorbent to adsorb methylene blue, and the maximum adsorption capacity from the Langmuir model (q_max) was 515.46 mg/g, which was achieved at a fast rate. The high adsorption capacity and fast adsorption rate are determined by the pore structure. Macropores provide fast channels for diffusion of the adsorbate. Mesopores serve as both fast channels and adsorption surfaces. Micropores provide a high surface area for adsorption. These findings suggest that loofah vine may be an inexpensive precursor source of activated carbon, and the obtained LVAC shows considerable potential for the removal of dyes from wastewater.

摘要

首次报道了一种具有分级多孔结构的丝瓜衍生活性炭（LVAC）。它是由天然材料通过氢氧化钾 (KOH) 和二氧化碳 (CO ₂ ) 活化制备的。LVAC 已通过 SEM-EDAX、FTIR 和氮吸附进行了表征。结果表明，LVAC具有较大的比表面积（904.6 m ² /g）和分级孔隙率（微孔、中孔和大孔）。LVAC用作吸附亚甲基蓝的吸附剂，最大吸附容量来自Langmuir模型（q _max) 为 515.46 mg/g，这是以较快的速度实现的。高吸附容量和快速吸附速率是由孔结构决定的。大孔为吸附物的扩散提供了快速通道。中孔作为快速通道和吸附表面。微孔为吸附提供了高表面积。这些发现表明，丝瓜藤可能是一种廉价的活性炭前体来源，并且获得的 LVAC 显示出从废水中去除染料的巨大潜力。