Ti2N MXene/Zn-Fe layered double hydroxide nanocomposite for efficient tetracycline removal from environmental waters: Thermodynamic and kinetic insights

The global issue of antibiotic contamination in water is now a significant cause for concern. The removal of tetracycline (TC) residues, one of the most widely used antibiotics, is crucial for ensuring water safety and preventing environmental contamination. To address this issue, a novel adsorbent, zinc-iron layered double hydroxide (Zn-Fe LDH) intercalated with Mxene (Ti2N), was synthesized and its efficacy for TC removal from water was investigated. The adsorbent was characterized using FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX, HR-TEM, XRD, BET/BJH techniques. This study also optimized adsorption parameters including sample pH, salt effect, adsorbent mass, and contact time. The adsorbent exhibited excellent adsorption efficiency (98 %) attributed to its highly porous structure and large specific surface area (88.9019 m(2)/g), resulting in enhanced adsorption capacity (357.143 mg/g). TC adsorption was described by Langmuir isotherm (R-2=0.98) and pseudo-second-order kinetics (R-2=0.99). The thermodynamic study (Delta G, Delta H, and Delta S) demonstrated an endothermic and spontaneous adsorption of TC. The efficiency of adsorbent for TC removal was assessed in seawater and hospital sewage samples, confirming its applicability in complex matrices. The greenness of the procedure was evaluated using Analytical Eco-Scale and AGREE. This paper introduces the novel (Ti2N)/Zn-Fe LDH nanocomposite its physicochemical characteristics, and its first application for TC removal.