# Study on the Adsorption Mechanism of Atrazine by Sesame Hull Biochar/Sepiolite Composite Material

## TL;DR

This study develops a composite material from sesame hull biochar and sepiolite to efficiently remove atrazine, a persistent herbicide pollutant, from water.

## Contribution

A novel composite material (KNPB) is developed for atrazine removal, combining biochar from agricultural waste and sepiolite with a demonstrated 89.14% removal efficiency.

## Key findings

- KNPB achieved 89.14% atrazine removal under optimal conditions of 3 g/L dosage, pH 6.8, and 360 min adsorption time.
- Adsorption mechanisms include pore-filling, π–π interactions, and hydrogen bonding as confirmed by BET, FTIR, and XPS analyses.
- The composite material shows reusability potential, indicating practical applicability for water treatment.

## Abstract

Atrazine (ATZ), a typical triazine herbicide with a long half-life and recalcitrant biodegradation, contaminates water and soil, necessitating efficient removal technologies. Conventional adsorbents have limited capacity and stability, while sesame straw-derived biochar realizes agricultural waste recycling and provides an efficient, economical, and eco-friendly adsorbent. Sepiolite, a natural mineral with a unique fibrous structure and a high specific surface area, has attracted widespread attention. Therefore, in this work, the agricultural waste of sesame hulls and sepiolite were used as precursors to prepare a composite material of sesame hull biochar/sepiolite (KNPB) through co-mixing heat treatment, followed by sodium hydroxide activation and pyrolysis. The results showed that, under the conditions of an adsorbent dosage of 3 g/L, pH of 6.8, and an adsorption time of 360 min, the removal rate of 3 mg/L ATZ by KNPB was 89.14%. Reusability experiments further demonstrated that KNPB has the potential for practical application in water treatment. Additionally, by integrating adsorption kinetics and isotherm analysis with a suite of characterization results from BET, FTIR, and XPS, the adsorption mechanism of KNPB for ATZ was further clarified to be primarily based on pore-filling, π–π interactions, and hydrogen bonding. This study not only provides a new idea for the resource utilization of waste sesame straw, but also provides scientific guidance for the solution of atrazine pollution, which has important environmental and economic significance.