Effective adsorption of ciprofloxacin antibiotic using powdered activated carbon magnetized by iron(III) oxide magnetic nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of porous materials Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 835 - 852
• Main Authors: Al-Musawi, Tariq J., Mahvi, Amir Hossein, Khatibi, Aram Dokht, Balarak, Davoud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Adsorption; Adsorptivity; Antibiotics; Catalysis; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical reactions; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Iron oxides; Isotherms; Magnetic properties; Nanoparticles; Physical Chemistry; Shaking; Wastewater; Ciprofloxacin antibiotic; Regeneration; Adsorption study; nanoparticles; Magnetization; Powdered activated carbon; Fe; O
• ISSN: 1380-2224; 1573-4854
• DOI: 10.1007/s10934-021-01039-7

In the present work, the adsorption performance of powdered activated carbon magnetized by iron(III) oxide magnetic nanoparticles (PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN) for the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) was extensively studied using batch experiments. First, PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN was synthesized and prepared by co-precipitation method, then it was subjected to characterization study using advanced techniques. Then, the adsorption ability of PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN for CIP was determined at different initial CIP concentration (10–100 mg/L), pH (3–11), PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN dose (0.1–0.6 g/L), shaking speed (50–300 rpm), contact time (0–120 min) and temperature (283–328 K). Results showed that PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN possessed excellent adsorptive properties and had a high practical utility. It was found that PAC particles were partially covered during the magnetization by Fe 3 O 4 -MN whereas the surface and morphological properties of both were detected in the characterization analysis of PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN. Values of the thermodynamic and isotherm parameters (negative Δ G o ; positive Δ H o , and values of K F and B ) indicated that CIP adsorption process onto PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN was favorable, spontaneous and endothermic. Kinetic and isotherm studies manifested that the interaction of CIP with PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN occurs via both chemical and physical reactions onto a single and homogeneous layer of active sites of PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN. Furthermore, the rate-controlling step of the kinetic reaction is dominated and controlled by film diffusion for all CIP concentrations that studied. PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN possessed an excellent adsorption capacity for CIP (109.833 mg/g at pH  7, PAC@Fe 3 O 4 -MN dose = 1 g/L, shaking speed = 200 rpm, initial CIP concentration = 100 mg/L, contact time = 60 min, and temperature = 298 K). Finally, the used adsorbent appeared to be sustainable and cost-effective for treatment of CIP laden wastewater, as it can be successfully recycled up to eight consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles.