In a study published in the Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, Francisco J. Cano, Rocío Sánchez-Albores, et al. explored the effectiveness of biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More derived from papaya seeds for removing organic dyes from water. Biochar, a sustainable material produced from biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More, is gaining attention for its potential in addressing environmental challenges like water pollution. This research demonstrated that chemically modified papaya seed biochar can efficiently remove dyes from aqueous solutions.  

The researchers found that unmodified biochar showed moderate dye adsorption. It removed 55.5% of methylene blue (MB), 97.8% of malachite green (MG), and 12.9% of rhodamine B (RhB), with negligible adsorption of methyl orange (MO). However, when the biochar was chemically functionalized with KMnO4​, its performance significantly improved. The modified biochar achieved 100% removal of MB and MG within six minutes. Additionally, it substantially improved the removal of RhB and MO, reaching 100% and 88% removal, respectively.  

The study also analyzed the biochar’s properties using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These analyses helped the researchers understand the structural, morphological, and surface changes in biochar after chemical functionalization. The results indicate that chemical modification enhances the biochar’s surface area and introduces more functional groups, which are crucial for efficient dye adsorption.  

In conclusion, this research highlights the potential of chemically functionalized papaya seed biochar as a cost-effective and efficient adsorbent for dye removal from wastewater. Utilizing papaya seed biomass not only adds value to agricultural waste but also contributes to developing sustainable water treatment methods.  

SOURCE: Cano, F. J., Sánchez-Albores, R., Ashok, A., Escorcia-García, J., Cruz-Salomón, A., Reyes-Vallejo, O., Sebastian, P. J., & Velumani, S. (2025). Carica papaya seed-derived functionalized biochar: An environmentally friendly and efficient alternative for dye adsorption. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 36, 663–687.