Sustainable wastewater treatment by biochar/layered double hydroxide composites: Progress, challenges, and outlook

Biochar/layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites have gained considerable attention in recent times as lowcost sustainable materials for applications in water treatment. This paper critically evaluates the latest development in applications of biochar/LDH composites in water treatment with an emphasis on adsorption and catalytic degradation of various pollutants. The adsorption of various noxious contaminants, i.e., heavy metals, dyes, anions, and pharmaceuticals onto biochar/LDH composites are described in detail by elaborating the adsorption mechanism and regeneration ability. The synergistic effect of LDH with biochar exhibited significant improvement in specific surface area, surface functional groups, structure heterogeneity, stability, and adsorption characteristics of the resulting biochar/LDH composites. The major hurdles and challenges associated with the synthesis and applications of biochar/LDH composites in water remediation are emphasized. Finally, a roadmap is suggested for future research to assure the effective applications of biochar/LDH composites in water purification.

Automated summary

Biochar/LDH composites have been recognized as low-cost sustainable materials for water treatment, showing great potential in adsorption and catalytic degradation of various pollutants. The synergistic effect of LDH with biochar enhances the adsorption characteristics of the composites, making them promising candidates for water purification applications.