Multifunctional Magnetic Biochar Nanocomposite for Sustainable Water Treatment, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Biocompatibility Investigations

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The increasing level of aqueous discharge from industrial sectors has significantly deteriorated water resources. The development of sustainable materials for the effective mitigation of water contaminants is highly desirable. This study reports the fabrication of a multifunctional magnetic ZnCl 2 -activated Glycyrrhiza glabra root biochar-based composite, AGGB/Fe 3 O 4, and its effectiveness for the adsorptive removal of model Congo red (CR) and Nile blue (NB) dyes from aqueous solution. The nanocomposite (NC) was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, VSM, BET, FE-SEM-EDS, HR-TEM, SAED, and XPS techniques. For checking viability of the material, the effects of AGGB/Fe 3 O 4 dose, dye concentration, pH, temperature, and contact time on the removal efficiency were examined. 2.0 g L –1 of the NC exhibited a Q o of 53.89 mg g –1 for CR and 81.64 mg g –1 for NB at 40 °C. The Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic models provided the best fit to the experimental data set. The NC demonstrated significant inhibition of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria and fungal strains with durable antioxidant activity. Moreover, AGGB/Fe 3 O 4 demonstrated no detectable hemolytic effect, establishing its nontoxicity and biocompatibility. Also, the AGGB/Fe 3 O 4 ’s robustness and stability were evident, with stable capacity across five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles, as confirmed by FT-IR, XRD, and HR-TEM of the spent AGGB/Fe 3 O 4 . Thus, AGGB/Fe 3 O 4 can be a potential adsorbent to treat dye-laden wastewater and reduce bacterial/fungal contamination.