Adsorption of Antibiotics on Graphene and Biochar in Aqueous Solutions Induced by π-π Interactions

Abstract

The use of carbon based materials on the removal of antibiotics with high concentrations has been well studied, however the effect of this removal method is not clear on the actual concentration of environments, such as the hospital wastewater, sewage treatment plants and aquaculture wastewater. In this study, experimental studies on the adsorption of 7 antibiotics in environmental concentration of aqueous solutions by carbon based materials have been observed. Three kinds of carbon materials have shown very fast adsorption to antibiotics by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) detection, and the highest removal efficiency of antibiotics could reach to 100% within the range of detection limit. Surprisedly, the adsorption rate of graphene with small specific surface area was stronger than other two biochar, and adsorption rate of the two biochar which have approximate specific surface and different carbonization degree, was significantly different. The key point to the present observation were the π-π interactions between aromatic rings on adsorbed substance and carbon based materials by confocal laser scanning microscope observation. Moreover, adsorption energy markedly increased with increasing number of the π rings by using the density functional theory (DFT), showing the particular importance of π-π interactions in the adsorption process.

Adsorption of tetracycline antibiotics from an aqueous solution onto graphene oxide/calcium alginate composite fibers

“…Furthermore, both tetracycline molecules and GO/CA bers possess benzene rings and double bonds (C]C and C]O), which will result in a possible p-p stacking interaction. 37 All these factors will lead to signicantly enhanced adsorption of tetracycline onto GO/CA bers.…”

Applicability of Density Functional Tight Binding Method with Dispersion Correction to Investigate the Adsorption of Porphyrin/Porphycene Metal Complexes on Graphene

“…4,9,10 It is, however, difficult to perform DFT calculation for larger-sized molecules due to computational costs. A candidate for an alternative method with lower computational cost would be the self-consistent-charge density-functional tightbinding method (SCC-DFTB), 11 which omits time-consuming integral calculations by empirical parametrization.…”

“…The efficient adsorption of antibiotics was confirmed by liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry, suggesting its role as an antibiotics filter for industrial wastewater. 4 Another possible utility was suggested as a sample support for the imaging of proteins by electron microscopy and electron holography.…”

“…The efficient adsorption of antibiotics was confirmed by liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry, suggesting its role as an antibiotics filter for industrial wastewater. 4 Another possible utility was suggested as a sample support for the imaging of proteins by electron microscopy and electron holography.57 Typical approach to obtain the biomolecular structures was crystallography with X-ray or neutron diffraction, which provides the averaged image of a protein crystal. The imaging on graphene surface can, in contrast, provide the picture of a single protein.…”

Synthesis of Patchouli Biochar Cr2O3 Composite Using Double Acid Oxidators for Paracetamol Adsorption

“…Biochar is one of porous material adsorbents which has potential for adsorption of metal cations such as Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu [1], Zn [1,2], anion such as phosphate [3] or arsenic (V) [2], and organic substances such as humic and tannic acid [4], trimethyltin [2], various antibiotics [5]. Combination of biochar using various metal oxides can improve performance of biochar in adsorption [6,7,8].…”