Study of phenobarbital removal from the aqueous solutions employing magnetite-functionalized chitosan

Due to its wide use in anticonvulsant pharmacotherapy, phenobarbital (PHEN) is an aquatic contaminant with a high prevalence in the environment. In this adsorption study, chitosan and chitosan-based magnetic adsorbents containing different amounts of incorporated magnetite (CS, CS·Fe₃O₄ 1:1, CS·Fe₃O₄ 1:5, and CS·Fe₃O₄ 1:10) were used for phenobarbital removal. The magnetic adsorbents were synthesized by co-precipitation method and characterized through FTIR, XRD, MEV, and VSM analysis. In PHEN adsorption, the equilibrium and adsorption kinetic were better adjusted by the Sips and pseudo-second-order model, respectively. Among the four nanoadsorbents used, the maximum phenobarbital adsorption capacity was 94.60 mg g^-1 using 25 mg of CS·Fe₃O₄ 1:5, with a concentration of PHEN (50 mg L^-1), pH 7.0 at room temperature. The parameters of pH, adsorbent dosage, ionic strength, and thermodynamic study were tested for the adsorbent with the highest performance (CS·Fe₃O₄ 1:5). The nanoadsorbent demonstrates efficiency in the removal of the contaminant for diverse adsorption cycles. Finally, the protocol employing magnetic adsorbents dispenses the subsequent steps of filtration and centrifugation.