Adsorption of Cephalexin Antibiotics from Aqueous Solution Using a Polypyrrole/Titanium Dioxide Nanocomposite

Background: Antibiotics play a crucial role in the treatment of infectious diseases in humans and animals. However, their incomplete metabolism in the body often results in their release as active compounds into aquatic systems via domestic wastewater treatment plants. This release poses potential risks of chronic toxicity and significant health and environmental hazards. This study examines the efficacy of Polypyrrole/Titanium Dioxide Composite (PTDC) as an innovative adsorbent for removing Cephalexin (CFX) from aqueous solutions. Materials and Methods: In the batch adsorption experiments, the researchers inspected the influence of solution pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial CFX concentration. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated, which include standard Gibbs free energy (Delta G degrees), standard enthalpy (Delta H degrees), standard entropy (Delta S degrees), and activation energy (A). Results: The biosorption processes are considered spontaneous when the values of Delta G degrees are negative. The endothermic character of the biosorption processes is suggested by Delta H degrees>O for the biosorption of CFX. The biosorption capacity of the PTDC increases as the temperature rises, which also supports the endothermic nature of the biosorption processes. The activation energy for the biosorption of every CFX ion was less than 42 kJ/mol at all temperatures, suggesting that each process was diffusion-controlled. Conclusion: The outcomes indicated that PTDC exhibits capability as an adsorbent for removing CFX from water samples to safeguard the environment.