(2026) Chemical Engineering Journal_Sustainable synthesis of mesoporous carbon for organic pollutant removal via integrated adsorption and persulfate activation

Kim Y.; Lee Y.-J.; Song H.; Kwon E.E.

(Elsevier B.V.) Chemical Engineering Journal ISSN: 13858947 Vol.544 Issue. Article No.178883 DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.178883

Carbon-based materials serve as promising platforms for adsorption and catalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water. Nevertheless, the sustainable synthesis of bifunctional carbon materials that integrate accessible pore structures with redox-active sites remains challenging. In this study, Co-incorporated corn residue (CR) was thermochemically treated under a CO₂ atmosphere to simultaneously produce syngas and synthesize a mesoporous biochar with enhanced adsorption and catalytic activity. The resulting biochar, CoCRB (CO₂), exhibited a mesopore-enriched architecture with increased pore volume. CoCRB (CO₂) also showed enhanced charge-transfer capability, indicating accelerated electron-transfer kinetics at the catalyst interface. Thus, CoCRB (CO₂) outperformed its N₂-treated counterpart and Co-free biochars in BPA removal, achieving a BPA adsorption capacity of 28.8 mg g⁻¹ and complete BPA removal within 40 min through peroxydisulfate activation. Beyond catalyst production, Co-catalyzed CO₂-mediated thermochemical treatment enhanced syngas formation, yielding 157.6 mmol of CO and H₂. The reduced formation of oxygenated liquid intermediates suggested that Co species promoted the conversion of volatiles into syngas during CO₂-mediated thermochemical treatment of CR. This work highlights a sustainable strategy that couples Co-mediated mesopore development in biochar with CO-rich syngas production during the thermochemical treatment of CR. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grants funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. RS-2023-NR077231).