In this study, a porous carbonaceous adsorbent was prepared
from
sycamore flocs by pyrolysis method and K2CO3 activation. The effects of preparative conditions of the material
on its adsorptive property were explored. The optimal material (SFB2‑900) was obtained with a K2CO3/biochar mass ratio of 2:1 at an activation temperature of 900 °C,
possessing a huge surface specific area (1651.27 m2/g).
The largest adsorption capacity for ciprofloxacin on SFB2‑900 was up to 430.25 mg/g. The adsorption behavior was well described
by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isothermal
model. Meanwhile, this process was spontaneous and exothermic. The
obtained material showed excellent adsorption performance in the conditions
of diverse pH range, ionic strength, and water quality of the solution.
The optimum adsorption conditions (pH = 7.01, dosage = 0.6 g/L, and C
0 = 52.94 mg/L) determined based on the response
surface methodology were in accordance with the practical validation
consequences. The good regeneration effect of SFB2‑900 manifested that this material had great practical application potential.
Combining the experimental results and density functional theory calculation
results, the adsorption mechanisms mainly included pore filling, π–π
EDA interactions, electrostatic interactions, and H-bonds. The material
could be regarded as a novel and high-efficiency adsorbent for antibiotics.
Additionally, these findings also provide reference for the reuse
of waste biomass in water treatment.