Hierarchical magnetic nitrogen-doped porous carbon derived from a covalent organic framework (COF) for the highly efficient removal of sulfamerazine

The occurrence of sulfonamides in the water environment has garnered significant attention due to their potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Despite this significance, effectively removing sulfonamides from polluted water sources remains a challenging task. In this study, a series of hierarchical magnetic porous carbon materials (M-NPC) doped with iron and nitrogen are prepared using a direct carbonization method, employing a covalent organic framework (COF) as a precursor. The resulting M-NPC exhibits a hierarchical structure, high porosity, and abundant N-containing binding sites, enabling efficient removal of sulfamerazine (SMR) within 2 min. Mechanism studies reveal that the adsorption of SMR by M-NPC followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.999) and the Freundlich model. Furthermore, electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking, and hydrogen bond interactions are identified as the dominant mechanisms contributing to excellent adsorption performance. Additionally, the M-NPC demonstrates easy operation and good regeneration ability, making it highly promising for the efficient removal of sulfonamides from wastewater. This development marks a significant advancement in addressing the challenge of removing sulfonamides from polluted water sources.