Metal-Chelated Polymeric Nanomaterials for the Removal of Penicillin G Contamination

We developed selective and relatively low-cost metal-chelated nanoparticle systems for the removal of the penicillin G (Pen G) antibiotic, presented for the first time in the literature. In the nanosystem, poly(glycidyl methacrylate) nanoparticles were synthesized by a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization method and covalently bound with a tridentate-chelating ligand, iminodiacetic acid, based on the immobilized metal chelate affinity technique. It was modified with Cu²⁺, a chelating metal, to make Pen G specific. Metal-chelated nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, zeta dimensional analysis, and scanning electron microscopy technology. Optimization studies of the Pen G removal were conducted. As a result of this study, Pen G removal with the p(GMA)-IDA-Cu²⁺ nanoparticle reached its maximum adsorption capacity of 633.92 mg/g in the short time of 15 min. The Pen G adsorption of p(GMA)-IDA-Cu²⁺ was three times more than that of the p(GMA) nanoparticles and two times more than that of the ampicillin adsorption. In addition, there was no significant decrease in the adsorption capacity of Pen G resulting from the repeated adsorption-desorption process of metal-chelated nanoparticles over five cycles. The metal-chelated nanoparticle had an 84.5% ability to regain its ability to regenerate the product with its regeneration capability, making the widespread use of the system very convenient in terms of reducing cost, an important factor in removal processes.