A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applications

ABSTRACT: Biochar is a carbon-based material obtained from the thermal decomposition of a wide range of organic biomass. Its earliest uses date back to ancient agricultural practices across the world, where it was used to enrich the soil. However, it has recently become an area of interest due to it...

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Main Authors: Irene Curcio, Riccardo Gigli, Francesca Mormile, Cristina Mormile
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Nano Trends
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666978125000467
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author Irene Curcio
Riccardo Gigli
Francesca Mormile
Cristina Mormile
author_facet Irene Curcio
Riccardo Gigli
Francesca Mormile
Cristina Mormile
author_sort Irene Curcio
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: Biochar is a carbon-based material obtained from the thermal decomposition of a wide range of organic biomass. Its earliest uses date back to ancient agricultural practices across the world, where it was used to enrich the soil. However, it has recently become an area of interest due to its potential in environmental remediation and industrial applications. This article provides a description of the main production techniques and their advantages. It offers an overview of the physical and chemical properties, including surface area, porosity, and elemental composition, as well as the factors that influence them. It also reviews different activation methods used to enhance biochar's properties, depending on its intended use. It discusses the applications that are now in use, such as its role in environmental remediation, energy production, and as a catalyst, analysing the possible future applications as well. All of this is realized with a careful examination of nanobiochar, investigating how certain properties, such as surface area and porosity, differ at nanoscale. Materials with a size of less than one hundred nanometers are classified as ''nano'' and tend to behave differently due to the significant increase in surface-to-volume ratio, which leads to the observation of quantum confinement effects.
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spelling doaj-art-ad2ace4b2d37442d87b86288506a79cb2025-08-20T02:30:59ZengElsevierNano Trends2666-97812025-06-011010011710.1016/j.nwnano.2025.100117A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applicationsIrene Curcio0Riccardo Gigli1Francesca Mormile2Cristina Mormile3Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy; R.A.I.T. 88 S.R.L, Via Pieve Torina 64/66, 00156, Rome, Italy; Corresponding author.ABSTRACT: Biochar is a carbon-based material obtained from the thermal decomposition of a wide range of organic biomass. Its earliest uses date back to ancient agricultural practices across the world, where it was used to enrich the soil. However, it has recently become an area of interest due to its potential in environmental remediation and industrial applications. This article provides a description of the main production techniques and their advantages. It offers an overview of the physical and chemical properties, including surface area, porosity, and elemental composition, as well as the factors that influence them. It also reviews different activation methods used to enhance biochar's properties, depending on its intended use. It discusses the applications that are now in use, such as its role in environmental remediation, energy production, and as a catalyst, analysing the possible future applications as well. All of this is realized with a careful examination of nanobiochar, investigating how certain properties, such as surface area and porosity, differ at nanoscale. Materials with a size of less than one hundred nanometers are classified as ''nano'' and tend to behave differently due to the significant increase in surface-to-volume ratio, which leads to the observation of quantum confinement effects.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666978125000467BiocharCarbon-based materialsOrganic biomassSustainability
spellingShingle Irene Curcio
Riccardo Gigli
Francesca Mormile
Cristina Mormile
A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applications
Nano Trends
Biochar
Carbon-based materials
Organic biomass
Sustainability
title A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applications
title_full A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applications
title_fullStr A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applications
title_full_unstemmed A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applications
title_short A comprehensive review on biochar, with a particular focus on nano properties and applications
title_sort comprehensive review on biochar with a particular focus on nano properties and applications
topic Biochar
Carbon-based materials
Organic biomass
Sustainability
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666978125000467
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