Construction of an allophane-based molecularly imprinted polymer for the efficient removal of antibiotic from aqueous solution

Qiyi Ma; Yanfu Wei; Ning Zhao; Shun Wang; Baifa Zhang; Dong Liu; Peng Yuan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166464

Construction of an allophane-based molecularly imprinted polymer for the efficient removal of antibiotic from aqueous solution

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 10:903:166464. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166464. Epub 2023 Aug 20.

Authors

Qiyi Ma¹, Yanfu Wei², Ning Zhao¹, Shun Wang³, Baifa Zhang⁴, Dong Liu⁵, Peng Yuan⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² National Observation and Research Station of Coastal Ecological Environments in Macao, Macao Environmental Research Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, 999078, Macao.
³ CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; Neutron Science Platform, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan 523808, China.
⁴ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
⁵ CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
⁶ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China. Electronic address: yuanpeng@gdut.edu.cn.

PMID: 37607629
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166464

Abstract

The widespread presence of ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibiotic in the water and soil poses substantial potential risks to the environment, threatening both human and animal health. In this study, we used nanoclay mineral allophane (Allo), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a bifunctional monomer, and sodium alginate as a cross-linking agent, to prepare 3D porous Allo-β-CD molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the efficient removal of CIP from aqueous solution. The prepared Allo-β-CD MIP was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and zeta potential measurements. The effects of initial concentration, time, pH level, and ion concentration on CIP removal dynamics were systematically studied. The adsorption kinetics and equilibrium data of CIP were well-fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm models, respectively. The Allo-β-CD MIP can efficiently remove CIP from an aqueous solution, with a maximal adsorption capacity of 635 mg/g. It also has impressive recyclability, and enhanced selectivity, and is widely adaptable to various environmental conditions. The adsorption mechanisms of the as-prepared adsorbent include H bonds, hydrophobic interactions, surface complexation, and n-π EDA interactions. Given the experimental evidence, as-prepared adsorbent is therefore a promising candidate for the effective removal of CIP from the aquatic environment.

Keywords: Adsorption; Allophane; Ciprofloxacin; Molecularly imprinted polymers.