DOI: 10.18150/697hxd
title: New fruit waste-derived activated carbons of high adsorption performance towards metal, metalloid, and polymer species in multicomponent systems

description: The archived data were gathered within the research project titled ‘Wpływ złożonej modyfikacji fizykochemicznej środowiska glebowego na mobilność metali, metaloidów i herbicydów - badania laboratoryjne’, eng. ‘The impact of complex physicochemical modification of the soil environment on the mobility of metals, metalloids and herbicides - laboratory tests’, financed by the National Science Centre, Poland as part of the project under the OPUS 21 call (project no. 2021/41/B/NZ9/03059).The primary objective of this study was to develop a novel activated carbon derived from fruit waste through pyrolysis or microwave-assisted activation, utilizing CO₂, for the removal of metals, metalloids, and polymers from aqueous solutions. The textural properties, surface chemistry, and sorption characteristics of fruit waste precursors (chokeberry seeds, black currant seeds, and orange peels), along with the resulting biochars and activated carbons. The evaluation of the adsorption capacity of the most effective synthesized material in systems containing two types of contaminants (metals, metalloids, and polymers) simultaneously was made. The adsorption mechanisms of ions and macromolecules were thoroughly investigated, and experimental data were compared with theoretical models. To determine the strength of toxic metals and metalloids binding, desorption studies were also conducted. Additionally, the evaluation of the selected material for real-world contaminants concentrations adsorption was carried out.The research was conducted in the period from 1th January 2022 till 26th April 2024 at the Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin (Poland) as well as Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland). The collection contains the results of studies on: (1) characteristics of fruit waste precursors (chokeberry seeds, black currant seeds, and orange peels), as well as biochars and activated carbons obtained from these fruit wastes, (2) adsorption studies of metalloids: arsenic (As), selenium (Se), metals: cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and polymers: bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS), cationic polyacrylamide (CtPAM), and anionic polyacrylamide (AnPAM) on selected materials, including adsorption mechanisms of metals/metalloids and polymers on the selected materials, (3) complexation studies of metals and metalloids by polymers, (4) studies of metals and metalloids desorption from the surface of the selected activated carbon with water or polymers solutions.The attached files have been compressed to *.zip format. The dataset consists of the following files:1) character.zip – raw data on the determination of textural parameters (nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm, specific surface area, porosity, pore size distribution), morphology (SEM), surface charge density (potentiometric titration), elemental composition (CHNS, EDS, XPS), ash content, acidic and basic group content (Boehm titration) and surface functional groups (FTIR), pH of precursors and materials obtained from them (.docx, .xlsx, .tiff, .txt).2) ads.zip – raw data on the measurements of adsorbed amounts of As, Se, Cu, Cd ions and EPS, CtPAM, AnPAM polymers in various combinations |(pH function, mixed systems, real concentrations, isotherms, kinetics), XPS and EDS analysis of the material after adsorption of metals and metalloids, FTIR analysis of the material after adsorption of polymers, as well as potentiometric titration of the material in presence of polymers (.xlsx, .docx)3) complex.zip – raw data on complexation of metals and metalloids by polymers (.xlsx)4) des.zip – raw data of the desorption studies of As, Se, Cu, Cd ions from the materials surface in the systems with or without polymers (.xlsx).The data was compiled on the basis of laboratory tests.The results presented in file „character” were obtained using the following research equipment: nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyzer SI Quadrasorb (Quantachrome Instruments), scanning electron microscope (Phenom ProX, Pik Instruments) using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), automatic titrator Titrino 702 SM (Metrohm), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (Tensor27, Bruker Germany), CHNS/O analyzer (2400 Series II CHNS/O Elemental Analyzer (Perkin Elemer), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) (UHV surface analysis system (SPECS)), CP-401 pH-meter (Elmetron) equipped with EPS-1 glass electrode.The results presented in file „ads” were obtained using the following research equipment: an atomic absorption spectrometer (ContrAA 800, Analytik Jena), total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer (Multi N/C 2000, HT 1300, Analytik Jena), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, Dionex Ultimate 3000, Thermo Scientific), Specord 200 PLUS spectrophotometer (Analytik Jena), scanning electron microscope (Phenom ProX, Pik Instruments) using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), automatic titrator Titrino 702 SM (Metrohm), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (Tensor27, Bruker Germany), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) (UHV surface analysis system (SPECS)).The results presented in file „complex” were obtained using the following research equipment: an atomic absorption spectrometer (ContrAA 800, Analytik Jena).The results presented in file „des” were obtained using the following research equipment: an atomic absorption spectrometer (ContrAA 800, Analytik Jena).