Functionalization of MXene using iota-carrageenan, maleic anhydride, and N,N'-methylene bis-acrylamide for high-performance removal of thorium (IV), uranium (IV), sulfamethoxazole, and levofloxacin

Abstract

An increasing quantity of pollutants has been discharged into the aquatic media, posing a serious hazard to public health. To address this issue, a new sorbent material, MXene@i.Carr@MaMb, was developed through the functionalization of the MXene surface using iota-carrageenan (i.Carr), maleic anhydride, and N, N'-methylene bis-acrylamide. This sorbent material was designed to remove thorium (Th (IV)) effectively, uranium (U (IV)), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and levofloxacin (LEV) from wastewater. The MXene@i.Carr@MaMb composite incorporated significant functional groups, including OH, F, and O from MXene, oxygen and ester sulfate groups from iota-carrageenan (i.Carr), and OH, NH, and CO groups from N, N'-methylene bis-acrylamide, and maleic anhydride, which interacted with the UV (IV), Th (IV), SMX, and LEV pollutants through electrostatic interaction, complexation, and hydrogen bonding. MXene@i.Carr@MaMb composite exhibited excellent sorption capacities for Th (IV) (3.6 ± 0.03 mmol g^-1), U (IV) (3.7 ± 0.09 mmol g^-1), SMX (5.8 ± 0.03 mmol g^-1), and LEV (5.9 ± 0.05 mmol g^-1) at 323.15 K. The sorption kinetics and isotherms of radioactive metals and antibiotics can be well-described using pseudo-first-order kinetic models and Langmuir and Sips isothermal equations. This study presented a novel sorbent material for efficiently removing radioactive metals and antibiotics from wastewater.

Keywords: Adsorption; Antibiotics; Kinetic study; Radioactive heavy metals; Reusability.