Green and simple method for preparing iron oxide nanoparticles supported on mesoporous biochar as a Fenton catalyst

Abstract

With the on‐going development of nanotechnology, iron‐containing nanomaterials have received much attention in wastewater treatment and site remediation. Here, we synthesized a biochar‐supported iron oxide nanocomposite (FemOn/BC) by simply pyrolysing rice root, which is a natural source both of iron and carbon. The FemOn/BC nanocomposite nicely preserved the vascular bundle structure of rice root. With iron oxide doped on the mesoporous biocarbon, the composite has the usability as a Fenton‐like catalyst in the Fenton system. FemOn/BC‐700 (pyrolysis at 700 °C) was selected to catalysis the reactive brilliant red X‐3B degradation. Under the same catalytic effect, the service life of FemOn/BC‐700 almost doubles that of iron microparticles. We believe this green and energy‐efficient method might have value in biomass usage and helps sustainable development.