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Plants provide a wide range of organic substances that can treat and manage a range of pharmaceutical and biological conditions. Since Alstonia scholarisis a rich source of biologically active chemicals, it is used as a medicinal herb. It exhibits a broad spectrum of alkaloids, terpenoides, phenols, and steroids. A greater understanding of pharmacological medicines derived from medicinal plants can be achieved by determining the chemical and physical characteristics of compounds. Chromatographic techniques like thin-layer chromatography (TLC), ultraviolet light visual spectrometry (UV–Vis), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and non-chromatographic methodologies such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction are applied to determine the presence of bioactive compounds in leaves (XRD). Phytochemical analysis of methanol extract showed the presence of alkaloids and flavonoids. Antimicrobial activity was performed using methanol extract, and as a result zone of inhibition was observed. The presence of the alkaloids is employed in pharmacological industries for their anticancer, antimalarial, and antimicrobial effects and the biocrude of this plant biomass used for solid fuel valorization process that fascinate researchers from all over the world.

Biochar doped with heteroatom-like nitrogen could significantly improve its performance in several environmental applications. However, the preparation requires an additional nitrogen source, which influences its cost-effectiveness and impedes the practical applications. In the present study, the nitrogen self-doped biochar was prepared by using Foxtail algae (Myriophyllum aquaticum), which is a typical N-rich wetland plant as the raw material, without any modifications. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the morphology and crystal structure of the material. The biochar prepared at 800 °C (MBC800) was found to have a better porous structure, large specific area (1069.08 m2g−1), and more elemental N (3.11%). Furthermore, the MBC800 was used in the persulfate-activated degradation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7; 400 mgL−1), and about 97.42% of the removal rate was observed within 60 min when the MBC800 and PS dosages (MBC800/PS) were at 0.25 gL−1and 4 gL−1respectively. The radical trapping results indicated that amongst the free radicals (–OH•, SO4•–, O2•–) and non-radicals (1O2), the surface-bound hydroxyl radical (–OH•) of biochar played an important role, and the non-radical singlet oxygen (1O2) played a dominant role during the AO7degradation. The study namely provides a new way for the exploitation and utilization of Foxtail algae in preparing nitrogen-doped biochar for several environmental remediation applications.