In-situ polymerized strategy of hydrophilic route as a novel bionic membrane for removal ciprofloxacin from water

There are major environmental risks associated with antibiotic contamination in water, such as difficulty in removal, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicity. Inspired by the hydrophobic–hydrophilic structure of beetle carapaces, bionic membrane and column of UiO-66-NH₂ were prepared by a novel in-situ polymerization method. As the aqueous solution passes through the obtained membrane, the solution is more inclined toward the hydrophilic UiO-66-NH₂ particles and the water channels than the hydrophobic substrate, promoting adsorption efficiency. The same method can be used to manufacture columns with better performance than commercially available hydrophilic–lipophilic balance columns, suitable for processing large volumes of liquid. In this work, the effects of pH, adsorbent dosage, time, and temperature on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin (CIP) were studied. Moreover, the static adsorption thermodynamics, kinetics, and dynamic adsorption were investigated. The sorption could be appropriately described by the Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous (ΔG < 0) and endothermic (ΔH > 0) with entropy generation (ΔS > 0). The UiO-66-NH₂ adsorption column exhibited an excellent dynamic adsorption effect on CIP. The study findings suggest that the prepared membrane and adsorption column exhibit promising abilities in removing CIP from solutions.