Functionalized Zn/Al N-doped carbon nanocomposites with tunable morphology: Synergistic ultrafast low-temperature synthesis and tetracycline adsorption

The fast and efficient combustion technology was used to design zinc/alumina oxide N-doped carbon nanocomposites (Zn/Al-NCs) with assorted structures as pollutants adsorbent for capturing tetracycline (TC). XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX mapping, BET, and FTIR analysis techniques demonstrated the morphology and physicochemical properties of Zn/Al-NCs synthesized under mild conditions. The experimental results show that the pseudosecond-order kinetic and Langmuir model described the adsorption process well, indicating chemisorption and a monolayer adsorption nature. All Zn/Al-NCs exhibits excellent adsorption performance (>336 mg/g) to TC and the presence of humic acid (10 mg/L) made the adsorption capacity achieved a huge increasement (>446 mg/g) by forming a bridge bond. The adsorption mechanisms were pore-filling, electrostatic interactions, complexation, and H-bonds, confirming by BET, zeta potential, XPS, and FT-IR. The proposed synthesis strategy provides an efficient, excellent versatility, and time-saving way for preparing potential and high-performance materials for adsorbents.

Automated summary

Efficient combustion technology was used to design Zn/Al-NCs as adsorbents for TC, showing excellent adsorption performance and increased capacity in the presence of humic acid. Adsorption mechanisms include pore-filling, electrostatic interactions, complexation, and H-bonds.