Eradication of pharmaceutical drugs
from the global ecosystem has
received remarkable attention due to the extensive horrible consequences
on the human immunological system and the high rate of human deaths.
The urgent need for drug eradication became the dominant priority
for many research institutions worldwide due to the sharp increase
of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the human body, which inhibits
drug effectiveness and leads ultimately to death. Nanohybrid GO/O-CNTs
was fabricated from graphene oxide (GO) cross-linked via calcium ions
(Ca2+) with oxidized carbon nanotubes (O-CNTs) to eradicate
the well-known ciprofloxacin antibiotic drug from aqueous solutions.
The ciprofloxacin drug is medically prescribed in millions of medical
prescriptions every year and typically exists in domestic and wastewaters.
Characterization of the nanohybrid GO/O-CNTs was carried out through
spectroscopic (Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction
(XRD)), thermal (Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and derivative thermogravimetry
(DTG)), and microscopic (scanning electron microscopy (SEM)) techniques.
Optimum parameters for the drug eradication process from aqueous solutions
were verified and selected as follows: contact time = 4 h, pH = 6.0,
temperature = 290 K, %CaCl2 = 0.5%, GO/O-CNT ratio = 4:1,
and adsorbent mass = 1.0 mg. The equilibrium data were fitted to different
adsorption isotherms, and the Langmuir isotherm provided the best
fit to our data. Dynamic studies demonstrated a pseudo-second-order
removal process for the ciprofloxacin drug, and thermodynamic parameters
confirmed exothermic drug adsorption (−27.07 kJ/mol) as well
as a physisorption process. For the sake of fighting against the generated
AMR, our working strategy demonstrated a removal efficiency of 99.2%
of the ciprofloxacin drug and drug uptake as high as 512 mg/g.