Examining the adsorption efficiency of iron oxide-decorated magnetic halloysite nanotubes for tetracycline elimination from solutions

Abstract

In our research, we investigated the potential of HNT-Fe3O4, a magnetic adsorbent composed of halloysite nanotubes(HNTs) and iron oxide nanoparticles, for removing tetracyclines(TCs) from water. We utilized a range of analytical techniques such as FT-IR, VSM, XRD, BET, TEM, TGA, and SEM to characterize the materials. Furthermore, we evaluated HNT-Fe3O4’s capability to remove TCs from water, particularly noting the influence of solution pH on its adsorption properties. Results indicated that the adsorption process adhered to the pseudo-second-order kinetics, with the Langmuir model best describing the adsorption isotherms. The reusability study revealed that after six repeated uses, HNT-Fe3O4 maintained most of its adsorption efficiency. An adsorption–desorption experiment further confirmed its potential as a valuable adsorbent for wastewater treatment. In summary, our study underscores the potential of HNT-Fe3O4 as a durable and effective medium for TCs removal in water treatment.