Constructing the vacancies and defects by hemp stem core alkali extraction residue biochar for highly effective removal of heavy metal ions

Defects and vacancies are the essential reasons for the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater by low-cost biochar materials. This study aimed to use chemically activated hemp stem core alkali extraction residue biochar as an adsorbent to remove nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) ions from the simulated waste liquid. A large number of defects and vacancies were introduced into the pyrolysis process to study the efficient removal of heavy metal ions Cu and Ni by hemp rod biomass carbon material (HSR-BC) with different carbon base mass ratios and temperatures. The specific surface area of the prepared hemp rod active biochar was highly correlated with the aperture and carbon base ratio and temperature, and reached the maximum value (1429 m2/g) at 600 °C with the ratio of carbon to base (1:3.5). The removal rates of heavy metals Ni(II) and Cu(II) were as high as 94.25% and 99.54%, respectively, and the adsorption capacities were up to 7.85 mg/g and 24.88 mg/g. The adsorption isotherm follows the Langmuir equation and chemo-adsorption was the main adsorption process. Comparing the surface defects and vacancies of biochar materials before and after adsorption showed that the defects of sp-C and oxygen vacancies produced on the edge of the carbon were the main active sites of the biochar material, an amount of carbon defects would become an anchor site for the Lewis acidic groups, the defective acid site strengthened the electron transfer between the functional group and the Ni(II)/Cu(II), promoted the strong cooperation of Ni(II)/Cu(II) ions with –COOH group to enable efficient and rapid adsorption removal. In addition, a large number of carbon-deficient structures could quickly anchor the Ni(II)/Cu(II) due to their local electron deficiency state, which was difficult to desorb. This study provided an in-depth understanding and guidance for the development of low-cost biochar materials with excellent removal performance of heavy metal ions.