Adsorption and electrochemical regeneration of intercalated Ti3C2Tx MXene for the removal of ciprofloxacin from wastewater

Abstract Two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets intercalated with sodium ions (SI-Ti3C2Tx) was synthesized by a facile batch fabrication method and applied for Ciprofloxacin (CPX) removal in the adsorption and electrochemical regeneration process. The successful synthesis and properties of the synthesized nanosheets were evaluated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), FE-scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FE-transmission electron spectroscopy, Zeta-potential analyses, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. After intercalation, the surface terminations and the spacing between the layers of SI-Ti3C2Tx MXene were increased which enhanced the adsorption capacity of nanosheets in terms of fast kinetics and higher removal rates. As a result, 10 mg L−1 CPX was reduced to approximately 1 mg L−1 in just 15–20 min, which is an extraordinary kinetic behavior in CPX adsorption. Elovich kinetic model and the Redlich-Peterson isotherm model fitted the experimental data with the highest correlation coefficient. SI-Ti3C2Tx could be completely regenerated through an electrochemical regeneration approach within 5 min. Even after the subsequent adsorption and regeneration cycles, the removal rate enhanced up to ~99.7%. After the electrochemical treatment, the results of XRD and SEM indicated the stability of the material. Results obtained herein suggest that this type of nanoadsorbent will be useful in practical water treatment applications.