Removal of acetaminophen by using electrospun PAN/sago lignin-based activated carbon nanofibers

Pharmaceutical compounds have been identified as contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in wastewater because of their potential hazards to humans and aquatic organisms. One of the emerging pollutants is acetaminophen, commonly known as paracetamol, which is frequently consumed worldwide as an analgesic, painkiller, and antipyretic compound. Various methods have been developed to remove acetaminophen from wastewater and water bodies, with adsorption being the cheapest and easiest method. This study prepared activated carbon nanofibers (ACNFs) via consecutive electrospinning, stabilization, carbonization, and activation methods for removing acetaminophen from aqueous solution. Fibers with larger diameters were obtained at higher PAN/sago lignin (PAN/SL) ratios during electrospinning. Uniform bead-free nanofibers produced with 20 wt% lignin were stabilized and carbonized to produce carbon nanofibers (CNFs). ACNFs activated via KOH displayed increased oxygen-containing functional groups that efficiently removed acetaminophen from the aqueous solution. SEM images showed that the diameter of the nanofibers decreased after heat treatment. The adsorption of acetaminophen on ACNFs was evaluated based on four parameters: the effect of the initial concentration of acetaminophen, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and pH of the solution. The absorption behavior of the PAN/SL ACNFs showed no significant changes at pH 3 to 9. The optimum parameters for acetaminophen were an initial concentration of 25 mg/L, an adsorbent dose of 0.1 g, and a reaction time of 60 min. The results showed that the ACNF adsorption capacity increased to 52 mg/g, indicating that PAN/SL ACNFs are good adsorbents for acetaminophen in aqueous solution.

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