Influence of biomass baseline potential on biochar properties and performance for targeted applications

Abstract Biochar is a largely amorphous porous material derived from the pyrolysis of biomass under limited oxygen conditions. It has been applied in water treatment, odor removal, and soil conditioning. The properties and subsequent application of biochar depend on the feedstock and synthesis method, so that selection of feedstock and control of synthesis parameters plays an important role in the subsequent applications. Methods such as batch or continuous methods have been used for synthesis, resulting in materials with a range of properties. Owing to various surface functional groups, porosity, and a high surface area, biochar has the capacity to immobilize a wide range of pollutants in environmental media. Biochar also improves the pH and textural properties of soil, promotes carbon sequestration, and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Textural properties and surface functional groups can be manipulated to enhance sorption capacities for specific pollutants. Although biochar has been extensively studied, data on the influence of feedstock on its properties are limited. Besides, the use of in-silico-computational modelling in the synthesis and characterization of biochar is only emerging. This review aims to: (1) evaluate the influence of feedstock on biochar properties, (2) correlate synthesis approaches to properties and applications, and (3) evaluate in-silico-computational modelling strategies for biochar synthesis. The need for advanced characterization techniques together with development of systematic production methods to increase reproducibility of data was highlighted. Future research directions towards the development of innovative biochar-based materials were suggested. Overall, this information can ignite interests in biochar related research and increase the uptake of biochar for large-scale applications in an environmentally sustainable way. While in developed countries research on biochar can be carried out with relative ease, in developing countries the shortage of equipment could limit research on biochar and its wider uptake.