Phosphorus and oxygen co-doped carbon particles based on almond shells with hydrothermal and microwave irradiation process for adsorption of lead (II) and cadmium (II).

In this study, the production of activated carbon based on almond shells by microwave heating with KOH activation and then the modification of activated carbon with phosphorus and oxygen as a result of hydrothermal heating with phosphoric acid were carried out to increase the Cd(II) and Pb(II) adsorption efficiency. The resulting materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyzer (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and nitrogen adsorption. Adsorption performance, kinetics and thermodynamics of phosphorus, and oxygen-doped activated carbons were evaluated. The results showed that the adsorption of both Cd(II) and Pb(II) on phosphorus and oxygen-doped activated carbons obeyed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption capacity values (Q) obtained from the Langmuir isotherm for Cd(II) and Pb(II) adsorption were 185.18 mg/g and 54.64 mg/g, respectively. At the same time, the adsorption mechanism of Pb(II) and Cd(II) on the respective adsorbents was evaluated. As a result of phosphorus and oxygen atoms, Lewis base sites on carbon atoms and Lewis acid sites on phosphorus atoms are likely to form on the surface. These Lewis base sites can act as important active sites in adsorption reactions, especially of positively charged Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions.