Advances in Biochar: Production, Characterization and Environmental Applications

Biochar, a carbon-rich by-product obtained from pyrolysis of waste biomass, has been extensively used in a wide range of environmental applications due to its unique properties. The two key parameters in determining these properties are feedstock biomass composition and the production conditions, in particular, heat treatment temperature. The most common applications of biochar are as a soil amendment and as a carbon sink, but it has been also used in water and air filtration, as an animal feed supplement and an energy storage capacitor. It is important to characterize the chemical, physical and structural properties of these carbon-rich materials, before large-scale production and, hence, application, to understand their behavior and impacts on the environment and ecosystems once they are applied. Currently, characterization of biochar, via a range of microscopic, spectroscopic, and chromatographic techniques, together with optimization of its properties for its diverse range applications are research topics of interest. This allows a deep understanding of the biochar properties, which can further assist with developing an engineered biochar, with desired properties, and evaluating its suitability for a specific application. To develop knowledge in this area, a wide range of novel analytical techniques and methods need to be utilized to 1) develop a value-added biochar tailored for a certain application 2) characterize in detail the properties of the biochar 3) optimize the properties through innovative approaches (for example, pre- and post- treatment methods) and 4) understand the impacts of biochar when applied to the environment.

This Research Topic aims to gather advances in biochar production, characterization, and in the development of sustainable applications. This includes investigation of different organic and inorganic phases within the biochar, their physicochemical interactions with soil, water and air, and the assessment of the safe applications. To fully understand the biochar effects on the environment, integrating expertise across multiple fields (e.g. materials science, agricultural science, animal sciences and analytical chemistry) is required.

We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
• Innovative approaches to the development of sustainable biochars
• Microscopic, spectroscopic and chromatographic characterization of carbon-rich materials
• Advances in characterization techniques
• Recent developments in optimizing biochar properties, including pre- and post-treatment methods
• Environmental and agricultural applications

Keywords: Biochar characterization, Advanced analytical techniques, Experimental design, Biochar applications, Field experiments

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.