Microreactor Made From Rattan Waste Effectively Purifies Water
Researchers from China have developed a high-performance microreactor using rattan waste, offering a new, sustainable, and effective method for purifying water.
Published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, the study, led by corresponding authors Lei Shi and Jianxiong Liu, demonstrates how biochar from component-regulated rattan can be engineered to function more effectively as a catalyst in advanced oxidation processes.
To achieve this, they modulated the naturally occurring cellulose and lignin content in rattan. This process allowed them to engineer the resulting biochar’s pore structure, surface area, and electronic properties. They used controlled delignification to remove lignin and create a hierarchically porous carbon framework that contains an abundant amount of boundary-like defects and graphitic domains.
The result is a microreactor that eliminates the need for stirring and catalyst recovery, which are typically required for traditional batch reactors. It is gravity-driven and achieves an ultrahigh flux of 2.3×10⁴ L/(m²·h). It completely degraded common pharmaceutical and textile wastewater pollutants such as tetracycline, methylene blue, and rhodamine B in continuous-flow experiments.
Following tests, the team found that the biochar uses a non-radical pathway. This pathway turned out to be dominated by singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and direct electron transfer. They also identified the boundary-like defects in the carbon structure as where active ¹O₂ generation primarily occurs.
To detect the presence of hydroxyl or sulfate radicals in the water, the team used electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and electrochemical analyses. Results showed zero presence, confirming that the oxidation process is safer and more selective.
Researchers also discovered that the sample delignified for 6 hours (PRBC-6h) yielded the most desirable performance. This sample, with a cellulose-to-lignin ratio of ~5.56, exhibited the lowest charge-transfer resistance, the highest surface area, and the optimal defect configuration. In addition, the microreactor retained over 70% of its initial efficiency even after five reuse cycles.
Read the full article here to learn more about the gravity-driven microreactor.
Aqua Solutions sets the standard in laboratory water purification. We offer high-quality Type 1 Ultra-Pure Type II Pure Water systems, reverse osmosis systems, and systems for hydrogen generators. Learn more at https://www.aquaa.com.