Highly efficient and selective removal of low-concentration antibiotics from aqueous solution by regenerable Mg(OH)₂

The prevalent presence of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in aquatic environments has attracted considerable attention because of their harmful effects on humans and the ecological environment. Magnesium hydroxide nanocrystals were found to act as a simple and effective adsorbent to remove low-concentration ciprofloxacin (CIP) in aqueous solution. The as-prepared Mg(OH)₂ nanocrystals exhibited excellent CIP adsorption performance and high selectivity toward CIP molecules compared with other antibiotics or aromatics, e.g., norfloxacin (NOR) and eosin B (EB). The adsorbent showed pH-dependent adsorption, indicating that the adsorption process is probably dominated by an electrostatic interaction mechanism. In addition, structural analysis of the adsorbent indicated that coordination and hydrogen bonding between CIP and Mg(OH)₂ nanocrystal might also be involved in the adsorption process. Moreover, the adsorbent could be easily recovered by pyrolysis and hydration without significant reduction of adsorption capacity. The superior adsorption behavior of Mg(OH)₂ nanocrystal indicates that it may serve as a potential adsorbent material candidate for the selective removal of CIP from aquatic environments.