Pyrolysis of different biomass pre-impregnated with steel pickling waste liquor to prepare magnetic biochars and their use for the degradation of metronidazole

In this study, Fenton-like catalysts (magnetic biochar) were synthesised by pyrolysis the different biomass pre-impregnated with steel pickling waste liquor. The results of degradation of metronidazole illustrated that the catalytic performance of magnetic biochar was significantly affected by biomass feedstocks. Electron spin resonance (ESR) and radical quenching experiments showed that the hydroxide radicals (˙OH) were the key reactive oxygen species responsible for the metronidazole removal. Levels of ˙OH varied among different systems consistent with the removal of metronidazole. The activation of H₂O₂ by carbon-containing components and Fe species (Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄) in magnetic biochar were confirmed to be less crucial to the degradation of metronidazole. Moreover, the Fe(II) (FeO) in magnetic biochar played the dominating role in degradation of metronidazole, and the Fe(II) content difference caused by biomass feedstocks was responsible for differences in the catalytic performance of different types of magnetic biochar. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.