One-step green preparation of magnetic seaweed biochar/sulfidated Fe0 composite with strengthen adsorptive removal of tetrabromobisphenol A through in situ reduction

Rare information is available on the facile preparation of biochar/sulfidated Fe0 composite. A facile one-step green method was established for the synthesis of magnetic seaweed (Ulva prolifera) biochar/sulfidated Fe0 composite (S-Fe0/BC) to use excessive seaweed biomass. Removal efficiency of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) reached up to 88% in iron-sulfur treatment. Two major products were identified as bisphenol A and monobromobisphenol A, confirming the in-situ reductive debromination of TBBPA. Batch experiments showed that the removal of TBBPA was facilitated with S/Fe molar ratio of 0.2 and acidic conditions (pH = 3–7). The S-Fe0/BC composite had good stability and reusability based on the cycle experiments. The removal process of TBBPA by S-Fe0/BC composite might include chemical adsorption by S-Fe0/BC composite, reduction debromination by S-Fe0 and enhanced electron transfer. The environmentally-friendly S-Fe0/BC composite synthesized by one-step facile procedure showed novel potential applications in terms of pollution control of halogenated xenobiotic compounds such as TBBPA.