Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
Published on: January 7, 2019
Sorption mechanisms of organic compounds by carbonaceous materials: site energy distribution consideration
Xiaofang Shen1, Xiaoying Guo1, Meng Zhang1
1Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Abstract:
Sorption of naphthalene, lindane, and atrazine on 10 kinds of carbonaceous materials which included four kinds of graphene, three kinds of graphite, two kinds of carbon nanotubes and one kind of mesoporous carbon was investigated. The approximate sorption site energy distributions were calculated based on Dubinin-Ashtakhov (DA) model. The average sorption site energy and standard deviation of the site energy distribution were deduced and applied to analyze the interaction between sorbents and sorbates, and the sorption site heterogeneity. The introduction of oxygen-containing functional groups to the sorbents caused a decrease in their average sorption energy for the studied compounds. However, relative to the decrease in average site energy, the reduction in number of sorption sites as indicated by surface area more strongly reduced their sorption capacity to the tested carbonaceous materials based on the result of the linear regression analysis. Sorption site heterogeneity of the sorbents decreased as their oxygen contents increased, which is attributed to the better dispersion of the oxygen-containing materials as indicated by their TEM images. The method proposed in this study to quantify the average sorption site energy and heterogeneity is helpful for a better understanding of the sorption mechanisms of organic pollutants to carbonaceous materials.
More Related Videos
08:00Author Spotlight: Standardizing the Development of Amine-Based Silica Composites as CO2 Adsorbents for Direct Air Capture
Published on: September 29, 2023
09:39Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
Published on: November 28, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Adsorption of Gases on Solids
Organic Compounds
What is Organic Chemistry?
The Carbon Cycle
Entropy and Solvation
Carbon Skeletons