Tunable dispersion of cobalt oxide nanoclusters grafted on mesoporous SBA-15 for efficient pharmaceutical removal from wastewater

Key Points

• The research aims to enhance the efficiency of cobalt oxide nanoclusters for removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater.
• Grafting cobalt precursor onto mesoporous silica (SBA-15)
• Tuning the dispersion of cobalt oxide nanoclusters
• Assessing performance as adsorbent and photocatalyst
• Achieved high-performance removal of tetracycline from water
• Demonstrated effective dispersion improves adsorption capacity
• Photocatalytic activity was enhanced with optimal nanocluster arrangement