Synthesis of palm kernel shell biochar-TiO2 composite for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

The study aims at synthesizing and characterizing biochar-TiO₂ composite to remove organic pollutants represented by methylene blue from water. Biochar with high surface area and adsorption capacity was synthesized with the pyrolysis of palm kernel shells at high temperature and inert conditions, while a hydrothermal process was used in preparing the biochar-TiO₂ composite. Various analytical techniques were utilized to investigate the structural and surface characteristics of this composite, confirming both element integration and effectiveness for dye removal. The study also explored the efficiency of adsorption as well as photodegradation concerning methylene blue dye using these composites. Findings indicated that biochar derived from higher pyrolysis temperatures outperformed those obtained at lower temperatures by 65%. Additionally, an increase in catalyst loading resulted in a 53% enhancement in photocatalytic degradation performance when utilizing the biochar-TiO₂ composites with respect to dye treatment. These outcomes propose that biochar-TiO₂ composites represent promising sustainable materials within leading categories for water purification applications.