Adsorption dynamics and mechanism of Amoxicillin and Sulfachlorpyridazine by ZrOx/porous carbon nanocomposites

Abstract The extensive use of antibiotics has greatly threatened the ecological system, environment and human health. Adsorption has attracted extensive attention because it is a low-cost and easy-to-operate technique. In the present study, we used UiO-66-NH2 as a template and precursor, and applied it to prepare three ZrOx/porous carbon nanocomposites, and then compared the performance of the four materials for the removal of the two typical antibiotics (Amoxicillin-AMX; Sulfachloropyridazine-SCP). The synthesized adsorbents were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer emmett teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) techniques. The results show that the pyrolysis clearly facilitated the removal rates of SCP and AMX. Additionally, by conducting the experiments of pH effects, materials characterization, reaction dynamics and thermodynamics, plausible mechanisms were proposed to explain the adsorption process. After the pyrolysis, the electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobicity were the dominant forces for the adsorption, which were responsible for an increase in adsorption capacity. Finally, the recyclability of the synthesized material was assessed. After four cycles, the removal rates of AMX and SCP were still above 92% of the first adsorption test. This technology can be considered as a promising way for the remediation of antibiotics-contaminated water.