Metal-free Carbon Material Derived from Lantana Camara for the Detection and Removal of Ciprofloxacin.

ABSTRACT

This work reports the preparation of a metal-free nitrogen and sulphur functionalized graphitic carbon sheets from a unique and less expensive precursor Lantana camara, which is a common hazardous weed in India. The synthesized material NS-CN-180 was successfully tested for the adsorption and removal of fluoroquinolone antibiotics ciprofloxacin. The surface morphology and elemental composition of NS-CN-180 were investigated through FESEM and XPS analyses. The SEM data reveals the graphitic sheets stacked onto each other with cavities in between them. The presence of various functional groups was identified through FT-IR spectroscopy and the degree of graphitization was calculated from XRD pattern. The probable mechanism of interaction for ciprofloxacin molecule with NS-CN-180 was also investigated with the help of FT-IR and zeta potential analyses. The fabricated material was found to be excellent for ciprofloxacin detection with a limit of detection value 16.08 nM. Also, the prepared material efficiently removes the 66.2% ciprofloxacin drug in 1 h. Adsorption and desorption experiments were performed to demonstrate the reusability of the material.