article · Water
This paper reports an advanced statistical physics modeling to elucidate the adsorption process of two relevant pharmaceuticals, namely amoxicillin (AMOX) and imipramine (IMP), on aluminum-pillared clay. A double-layer model was used to interpret the adsorption mechanism of these pharmaceuticals at 298–318. This model indicated the presence of molecular aggregation for IMP adsorption via the formation of dimers or trimers, and a monomolecular AMOX separation process. The removal of both compounds was endothermic, showing better adsorption capacity for IMP (82 mg/g) than for AMOX (37 mg/g). Calculated adsorption energies (ΔE1, ΔE2 < 40 kJ/mol) confirmed a physisorption mechanism, which may be governed by hydrogen bonding due to the adsorbent chemistry and adsorbate molecular structure. Configurational entropy and free enthalpy were calculated to analyze the thermodynamics of AMOX and IMP adsorption equilibria. These thermodynamic functions confirmed the molecular disorder during adsorption and system’s spontaneity. This study contributes with new theoretical findings for unraveling complex adsorption mechanisms, at the molecular level, of pharmaceutical molecules, with the aim of intensifying water depollution systems.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/w18050537
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
