Role of the surface characteristics of hyper-crosslinked polymers on the transformation of adsorbed trichlorophenol: Implications for understanding the surface reactivity of biochar derived from waste biomass.

The surface reactivity of biochar derived from waste biomass has not been well understood due to its complex composition and heterogeneity. Therefore, this study synthesized a series of biochar-like hyper-crosslinked polymers (HCPs) with different amounts of phenolic hydroxyl groups on the surface as an indicative tool to investigate the roles of key surface properties of biochar on transforming pollutants being adsorbed. Characterization of HCPs suggested that electron donating capacity (EDC) of different HCPs was positively correlated with increasing amounts of phenol hydroxyl groups, whereas specific surface area, degree of aromatization and graphitization were negatively correlated.