Treatment of wastewater contaminated with antibiotics using magnetic carbon nanoparticles

Abstract

Magnetic carbon nanoparticle (M-CNPs) was synthesized by using ethanol and ferrocene. The parameter that studied consist of the synthesizing temperature between 700-900oC and the ratio of ferrocene to ethanol was in the range of 5-9wt% to find the appropriate condition for use as an adsorbent for adsorption tetracycline. Such M-CNPs would be beneficial for their collection using a permanent magnet. From the results, the synthesizing temperature was 700oC and the ratio of ferrocene to ethanol was 9wt% showed the highest specific surface area about 47.12 m2/g and pore diameter of 14.46 nm that could be indicated as mesopore. However, the adsorption efficiency of the synthesized M-CNPs in the condition showed higher than the other condition. The synthesized M-CNPs consist of two distinctively different nanostructures, namely multi-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanocapsules with iron nanoparticles attached inside these particles. Application of synthesized M-CNPs as an adsorbent for tetracycline indicated 8 mg per 25 mL of solution was the optimal amount of M-CNPs loading and the pH value was 5. When increasing temperature will result to adsorption capacity increase from 24.04, 58.93 to 82.81 mg/g when temperature increased from 25, 45 to 65oC. For the effect of contact time, the adsorption would reach equilibrium within 180 min. The kinetic model was better fitted by pseudo-second-order and Freundlich model for adsorption isotherm.