This paper discusses the properties of metal oxide/biochar
systems
for use in wastewater treatment. Titanium, zinc, and iron compounds
are most often combined with biochar; therefore, combinations of their
oxides with biochar are the focus of this review. The first part of
this paper presents the most important information about biochar,
including its advantages, disadvantages, and possible modification,
emphasizing the incorporation of inorganic oxides into its structure.
In the next four sections, systems of biochar combined with TiO
2
, ZnO, Fe
3
O
4
, and other metal oxides
are discussed in detail. In the next to last section probable degradation
mechanisms are discussed. Literature studies revealed that the dispersion
of a metal oxide in a carbonaceous matrix causes the creation or enhancement
of surface properties and catalytic or, in some cases, magnetic activity.
Addition of metallic species into biochars increases their weight,
facilitating their separation by enabling the sedimentation process
and thus facilitating the recovery of the materials from the water
medium after the purification process. Therefore, materials based
on the combination of inorganic oxide and biochar reveal a wide range
of possibilities for environmental applications in aquatic media purification.