Biochar is an emerging carbon material that has attracted the attention of the academic and industrial communities due to its potential applications in various sectors, including soil improvement and regeneration, water treatment, gas capture and storage, and energy systems. Alongside these applications, there is vast potential for waste valorization, particularly vegetal biomass, through its transformation into biochar. This approach is therefore one of the strategies that should be explored intensively to contribute to a genuine circular economy and mitigate the sources and negative impacts of climate change.

The main objective of this Research Topic is exploring the topic of biochar in depth, considering a wide range of aspects. These include the sources of potential precursor materials (e.g. plant biomass), characterization techniques (e.g. physical and chemical analysis), modification processes (e.g. for specific applications such as metal retention), and applications in various domains (e.g. environmental). The economic dimension of all processes involved in the production and application of biochar is also of major interest, including production, application, reuse, regeneration and disposal costs — in other words, a true life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic analysis (EA).

Biochar and all upstream and downstream activities related to the production and application of this carbon material are the main focus of this Research Topic. We welcome contributions around the following aspects:
- sources of biochar precursors and precursor screening
- correlation between precursor properties and the resulting carbon material characteristics
- production of biochar
- post treatment and modification of biochar
- water treatment
- soil restoration and regeneration
- crops productivity
- application on energy storage diapositives
- life cycle assessment
- recent advances in mechanistic investigation methods
- economic analysis.

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Biochar - a Versatile Carbon Material: From Agriculture to Water Treatment and Energy Applications