Optimization of eco-waste synthesis in zinc oxidegraphene oxide for cephalexin antibiotics removal

• Main Authors: Heshammuddin, N A, M Zailan, M T, Mohamed, R M S R, Mohd-Kamil, N A F
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: QD Chemistry
• Online Access: http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/11746/1/P16840_078f1d6abb0b7dcd66f42c7f048df597%2012.pdf; http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/11746/; https://:10.1088/1755-1315/1347/1/012004

Cephalexin (CFX) is an antibiotic prescribed for a wide variety of conditions, including bacterial infections and urinary tract infections. It has recently been labelled as an emerging pollutant due to the high concentrations of CFX that indicate a potential risk to the environment. This research set out to discover the best conditions for producing a leachate from waste materials utilising the Eco-Zinc Oxide-Graphene Oxide (Eco-ZnO/GO) catalyst for the efficient removal of CFX. The Eco-ZnO/GO nanocomposite that were generated from waste is used for adsorption in an aqueous solution. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) was used to characterise Eco-Zno/GO nanocomposite while Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were used to optimise the removal efficiency of CFX across three factors: starting concentration, mixing speed, and contact time. Average nanoparticle sizes for Eco-ZnO and GO were measured to be 23 and 122 nm, respectively. Eco-ZnO/GO has a maximum removal efficiency of 89.55% at the optimal factor of 1000 rpm in 30 minutes when working with a concentration of 100 mg/l of CFX. The results of the study demonstrated that the waste nanocomposite technology is used to remove the material effectively, which can add to our growing body of knowledge in this area