title: Effects of nitrogen plasma treatment on the surface characteristics of olive stone-based activated carbon.
abstract: Nitrogen plasma treatment (NPT) of activated carbon (AC) at different conditions was carried out to introduce nitrogen-containing groups onto olive stone-activated carbon (OSAC) surfaces. Textural characteristics of raw and irradiated samples were analyzed by N2and CO2adsorption. Surface chemical functional groups were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and Fourier Transformed Infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that after NPT, the surface textural properties of irradiated OSAC were slightly damaged, and a gradual decrease in surface area and pore volume was observed during the irradiation. XPS revealed that NPT could change the distribution of oxygen functional groups on the OSAC surface and there were more nitrogen atoms incorporated into the aromatic ring. A tentative explanation for the modification process is proposed. Phenol adsorption was enhanced from 110 mg/g for untreated AC to 635 mg/g for 30-min plasma-treated OSAC.
authors.affiliation: a Research Laboratory of Process Engineering and Industrial Systems, National School of Engineering of Gabes , University of Gabes , Gabès , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nouha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Soudani
authors.affiliation: a Research Laboratory of Process Engineering and Industrial Systems, National School of Engineering of Gabes , University of Gabes , Gabès , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Souad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Najar-Souissi
authors.affiliation: b Dpto de Química Inorgánica , Facultad de Ciencias , Granada , Spain.
authors.forename: Victor K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Abderkader-Fernandez
authors.affiliation: a Research Laboratory of Process Engineering and Industrial Systems, National School of Engineering of Gabes , University of Gabes , Gabès , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Abdelmottalab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ouederni
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D031658:Olea / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D019800:Phenol / Q000737:chemistry; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D016062:Porosity; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014416:Tunisia; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002606:Charcoal; D019800:Phenol; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Activated carbon; phenol adsorption; plasma treatment; surface characteristics