Tailoring Surface Chemistry of Sugar-Derived Ordered Mesoporous Carbons towards Efficient Removal of Diclofenac from Aquatic Environments
Rafał Olchowski,
Emil Zięba,
Dimitrios A. Giannakoudakis,
Ioannis Anastopoulos,
Ryszard Dobrowolski,
Mariusz Barczak
Affiliations
Rafał Olchowski
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Emil Zięba
Confocal and Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Center for Interdisciplinary Research, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów Sq. 1J, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
Dimitrios A. Giannakoudakis
Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54-124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis Anastopoulos
Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, Nicosia CY-1678, Cyprus
Ryszard Dobrowolski
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Mariusz Barczak
Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3), obtained from an abundant natural source, sugar, was thermochemically modified with dicyandiamide and thiourea as well as by classical oxidization with hydrogen peroxide to introduce specific surface groups. Thermochemical modifications resulted in carbon with almost unchanged porosity and altered surface chemistry while porosity of H2O2-treated carbon was seriously deteriorated. The obtained carbons were tested as sorbents of diclofenac, considered as one of the emerging water contaminants. Changes in porosity and surface chemistry of modified carbons resulted in significant differences with regard to the uptake of diclofenac. Dicyandiamide-modified carbon showed highest uptake of drugs, reaching 241 mg g−1 that is attributed to its developed microporosity as well as surface chemistry composed of basic groups facilitating electrostatic interactions with diclofenac anions. Desorption study showed that diclofenac is strongly bonded, albeit with a different degree depending on the modification of the CMK-carbon. The obtained results were compared with up-to-date literature regarding sorption of diclofenac by carbon-based sorbents.
