Fabrication of Fe-based biomass aerogel with microwave assistance and its properties in the removal of tetracycline from wastewater

The adsorption of tetracycline wastewater has garnered significant attention owing to its potential threats to human health and the ecological environment during excessive flooding. In this study, a novel Fe-based biomass aerogel (FGA) was synthesized using a microwave-assisted method for efficient tetracycline (TC) adsorption. FGA exhibited exceptional stability, wide adaptability, and excellent recyclability while demonstrated extremely high adsorption (up to 1366 mg·g −1 ) for TC at room temperature. The synthesized FGA was experimentally characterized through morphological observation and determination of chemical composition. The effects of different pH levels, initial concentration of TC, adsorption dosage, and coexisting inorganic ions on the adsorption performance of TC adsorption in experimental studies. The adsorption process of TC onto the FGA was heat-absorbing and spontaneous, aligning with the proposed pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isothermal model. Electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding interaction, complexation and pore filling were identified as involved mechanisms during the adsorption process based on both characterization results and adsorption experiments.