Investigation of Norfloxacin Adsorption and Detection in Wastewater Utilizing Hyaluronic Acid and Dopamine-modified Mesoporous Carbon

Objective: The increasing environmental pollution from antibiotics poses a significant threat to public health, and this is a critical issue that requires immediate attention. Methods: In this study, a simple and effective surface modification technique was presented using hyaluronic acid-dopamine conjugate (HA-DA) to impart anti-biofouling properties to basin-concave mesoporous carbon (BCMC). The synthesized materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nitrogen physisorption, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The optimum adsorption performance of the synthesized materials was investigated via adsorption isotherms and kinetics experiments. Afterward, the obtained particles were used as solid-phase extraction subjects for Norfloxacin (Nor) analysis in wastewater. Results: After being quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (SPE-HPLC), the synthesized BCMC@HA-DA demonstrated an impressive binding capacity of 14.80 mg/g for Nor. Following six adsorption-desorption cycles, the adsorption revercory remained at 81.65%. Conclusion: The prepared BCMC@HA-DA could successfully be concentrated Nor from wastewater, indicating significant potential for addressing environmental biofouling issues.