Synthesis of high surface area carbon adsorbents prepared from pine sawdust-Onopordum acanthium L. for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs adsorption

•Synthesis of high surface area-carbon materials prepared from pine sawdust-Onopordum acanthium L.•Textural, morphological and chemical surface properties of the activated carbons were estimated.•Kinetic and equilibrium adsorption studies of anti-inflammatory drugs were carried out.•Functionalization of activated carbon by liquid acid and basic treatments was assessed.•The role of the oxygenated surface groups on the adsorption removal was pointed out.

Chemically activated carbon materials prepared from pine sawdust-Onopordum acanthium L. were studied for the removal of diclofenac and naproxen from aqueous solution. Several carbons, using different proportions of precursors were obtained (carbon C1 to carbon C5) and the chemical modification by liquid acid and basic treatments of C1 were carried out. The textural properties of the carbons, evaluated by N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, revealed that the treatments with nitric acid and potassium hydroxide dramatically reduced the specific surface area and the pore volume of the carbon samples. The surface chemistry characterization, made by thermal programmed decomposition studies, determination of isoelectric point and Boehm's titration, showed the major presence of lactone and phenol groups on the activated carbons surface, being higher the content when the acidic strength of the carbon increased. Diclofenac and naproxen kinetic data onto C1 carbon followed pseudo-second order model. The adsorption equilibrium isotherms of C1 and the modified carbons were well described by both Sips and GAB isotherm equations. The highest adsorption capacity was found for naproxen onto C1 activated carbon, 325 mg g−1, since the liquid acid and basic functionalization of the carbon led to a severe decreasing in the adsorption removal of the target compounds.

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