Abstract
Residual antibiotics in water are often persistent organic pollutants. The purpose of this study was to prepare a cellulose nanocrystals/graphene oxide composite (CNCs-GO) with a three-dimensional structure for the removal of the antibiotic levofloxacin hydrochloride (Levo-HCl) in water by adsorption. The scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and other characterization methods were used to study the physical structure and chemical properties of the CNCs-GO. The three-dimensional structure of the composite material rendered a high surface area and electrostatic attraction, resulting in increased adsorption capacity of the CNCs-GO for Levo-HCl. Based on the Box-Behnken design, the effects of different factors on the removal of Levo-HCl by the CNCs-GO were explored. The composite material exhibited good antibiotic adsorption capacity, with a removal percentage exceeding 80.1% at an optimal pH of 4, the adsorbent dosage of 1.0 g l(-1), initial pollutant concentration of 10.0 mg l(-1) and contact time of 4 h. The adsorption isotherm was well fitted by the Sips model, and kinetics studies demonstrated that the adsorption process conformed to a quasi-second-order kinetics model. Consequently, the as-synthesized CNCs-GO demonstrates good potential for the effective removal of antibiotics such as levofloxacin hydrochloride from aqueous media.