article · Scientific Reports
This research evaluates a composite catalyst combining nickel-iron layered double hydroxide with activated carbon to remove norfloxacin, a persistent antibiotic, from water. The material activates persulfate to generate reactive radicals, predominantly sulfate radicals alongside hydroxyl radicals, which break down the pharmaceutical compound. Under optimal laboratory conditions at neutral pH and ambient temperature, the system achieved complete removal of norfloxacin at lower concentrations and eighty-six percent removal at fifty milligrams per litre within sixty minutes. When tested on real treated wastewater, the process attained eighty-four percent norfloxacin removal and reduced chemical oxygen demand by fifty-five percent. The catalyst demonstrated stability and low metal leaching, retaining seventy-five percent of its degradation efficiency across four successive cycles of use.
Pharmaceutical residues like antibiotics frequently bypass standard wastewater treatment, contributing to environmental contamination and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Developing efficient catalysts that operate at ambient temperatures and neutral pH allows treatment facilities to break down difficult micropollutants. This composite material offers a reusable, robust option to clean contaminated water streams while reducing secondary pollution risks.
This work demonstrates potential applications in advanced industrial and municipal wastewater treatment systems targeting pharmaceutical pollutants. Likely users include water utilities and operators of industrial effluent treatment plants. Because the catalyst was evaluated in real treated wastewater and demonstrated reusability, it represents applied laboratory research that is tested in relevant conditions, though pilot-scale engineering and manufacturing validation remain necessary before industrial deployment.
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This study investigated the catalytic degradation of Norfloxacin (NOR), a persistent fluoroquinolone antibiotic, using a novel Ni-Fe Layered Double Hydroxide supported on Activated Carbon (NiFe-LDH@AC) as a catalyst. The composite was designed to activate persulfate (PDS) and generate sulfate radicals for NOR degradation in aqueous solutions. Characterization techniques such as XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, FTIR, and BET confirmed the successful synthesis and structural integrity of the composite. The optimal degradation was achieved with a NiFe-LDH@AC ratio of 2:1, 0.3 g/L catalyst dosage, and 1 g/L PDS, resulting in 86% NOR removal efficiency within 60 min at neutral pH and ambient temperature for an initial concentration of 50 mg/L, and 100% removal for initial concentrations of 10 mg/L and 20 mg/L under the same conditions. The activation energy of the reaction was calculated as 58.27 kJ/mol. Radical scavenging experiments identified sulfate (SO₄˙⁻) and hydroxyl (<sup>•</sup>OH) radicals as the dominant reactive species, but the SO₄˙⁻ played a larger role. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited good reusability, maintaining 75% degradation efficiency after four cycles, and showed minimal metal leaching. The study also proposed a mechanism for PDS activation using XPS analysis and suggested NOR degradation pathways through LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. Moreover, the NiFe-LDH@AC/PDS system demonstrated 84% NOR degradation and 55% COD removal in real treated wastewater. Results demonstrated that the NiFe-LDH@AC composite effectively activated PDS, achieving high NOR removal efficiency, making it a promising sustainable material for wastewater treatment.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-89106-w
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