Hybrid Biochar/Ceria Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Activity Assessment for the Persulfate-Induced Degradation of Antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole.

Biochar from spent malt rootlets was employed as the template to synthesize hybrid biochar-ceria materials through a wet impregnation method. The materials were tested for the activation of persulfate (SPS) and subsequent degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a representative antibiotic, in various matrices. Different calcination temperatures in the range 300-500 °C were employed and the resulting materials were characterized by means of N adsorption and potentiometric mass titration as well as TGA, XRD, SEM, FTIR, DRS, and Raman spectroscopy.