Preparation of porous carbon derived from a lignin-based polymer through ZnCl2 activation for effective capture of iodine

Shuangping Xu; Juncheng Ma; Hongge Jia; Mingyu Zhang; Yanqing Qu; Chengbao Geng; Xiaozhou Zhao; Min Shao; Jingyu Xu; Xing Wang

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.139412

Preparation of porous carbon derived from a lignin-based polymer through ZnCl₂ activation for effective capture of iodine

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan 3:294:139412. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.139412. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Shuangping Xu¹, Juncheng Ma², Hongge Jia³, Mingyu Zhang², Yanqing Qu², Chengbao Geng², Xiaozhou Zhao⁴, Min Shao⁵, Jingyu Xu⁶, Xing Wang⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Heilongjiang Provinces Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite materials, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street, Qiqihar 161006, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
² College of Materials Science and Engineering, Heilongjiang Provinces Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite materials, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street, Qiqihar 161006, China.
³ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Heilongjiang Provinces Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite materials, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street, Qiqihar 161006, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Energy, Jinzhong 030600, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Heilongjiang Provinces Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite materials, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street, Qiqihar 161006, China; Guanglian Da Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing 100000, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Heilongjiang Provinces Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite materials, Qiqihar University, Wenhua Street, Qiqihar 161006, China; Liaoning Key Lab of Lignocellulose Chemistry and BioMaterials, Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery, College of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Liaoning Key Lab of Lignocellulose Chemistry and BioMaterials, Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery, College of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39756754
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.139412

Abstract

Lignin-based porous carbon, a derivative of lignin, is acknowledged for its cost-effectiveness, stability, and environmental sustainability. It exhibits significant adsorption capacity for the removal of heavy metals and in wastewater treatment, rendering it a highly esteemed adsorbent material. However, the potential of lignin-derived porous carbon for the capture of iodine in environmental contexts has yet to be thoroughly investigated. This research aims to examine the iodine capture capabilities of lignin-derived porous carbon in both iodine vapor and iodine/cyclohexane solution. Initially, lignin derivatives (ADL) (Mn = 2.85 × 10⁴, Mw / Mn = 1. 73) were synthesized through the graft copolymerization of lignin (Mn ≈ 2500), 4-acetoxystyrene, and dienopropyl terephthalate in ethylene glycol, utilizing azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator. Subsequently, ADL was transformed into layered lignin-based porous carbon (ADLC) by one-step carbonization and zinc chloride activation. The iodine adsorption capacity of ADLC was determined to be 2340 mg/g in an iodine vapor environment and 354 mg/g in a 500 mg/L iodine/cyclohexane solution. These findings indicate that the layered porous carbon (ADLC) derived from lignin represents a promising material for iodine capture, providing an economical, stable, and environmentally friendly approach to nuclear waste management.

Keywords: Effective capture of iodine; Layered lignin-derived porous carbons; Lignin-based polymer.