Rapid adsorption of sulfamethazine on mesoporous graphene produced from plastic waste: optimization, mechanism, isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics

Abstract Sulfonamide antibiotics like sulfamethazine (SMZ) can threaten aquatic and terrestrial life even in small concentrations (? 1 mg/L); hence, their removal from wastewater is indispensable. However, the need to explore new promising adsorbents that are cheap, effective, reusable also remains crucial developing adsorption technology. This work presents a one-pot solvent-free conversion of current most ubiquitous anthropogenic bio-resistant solid waste (plastics) into valuable carbon materials remove SMZ aqueous solution. High-density polyethylene was pyrolyzed at 500–1000 °C an enclosed stainless-steel reactor produce mesoporous graphene. The graphene products were characterized via microscopic spectroscopic analyses. effect temperature on yield properties investigated. optimum achieved with 600 product (CP-600) due its high porosity aromatic structure. parameters (pH, catalyst dose, concentration) optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) central composite design. 99.99% 0.9 g/L adsorbent 12.4 mg/L concentration, pH 3 25 °C. FTIR analysis revealed occurred mainly ?–?/? + –? electron interactions between pyrimidine rings benzene ring graphitic CP-600. followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, Langmuir, Freundlich isotherm models. controlled film intraparticle diffusion spontaneous endothermic. synthesized this rapidly more than other adsorbents.