Synthesis of Magnetic Mesoporous Fe3O4@SB Nanocomposite Adsorbent for Efficient Removal of Pharmaceutical Active Compounds from Water Solution

This study reports the successful synthesis of a novel magnetic nanocomposite, Fe3O4@SB, for the efficient removal of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) from water. The material was fabricated by grafting a robust, mesoporous Schiff base (SB) network onto superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The adsorption performance was evaluated for three model pharmaceuticals: 5-fluorouracil, mefenamic acid, and tryptophan. Under optimized conditions, the Fe3O4@SB nanocomposite exhibited exceptional removal efficiencies exceeding 96% for all compounds, with remarkably rapid kinetics reaching equilibrium within 10–15 min. Adsorption isotherm analysis revealed that the process followed the Langmuir model, indicating monolayer adsorption, with high maximum capacities for PhACs. Furthermore, the nanocomposite demonstrated excellent reusability over five consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles with minimal loss in capacity. The combination of high efficiency, rapid kinetics, facile magnetic separation, and robust stability positions Fe3O4@SB as a highly promising and practical adsorbent for the remediation of pharmaceutical-contaminated water. Research highlights: · Synthesis of a novel Fe3O4@SB nanocomposite. · Exceptional and rapid adsorption performance for pharmaceutical compounds. · High adsorption capacities and favourable reusability. · Superparamagnetic property for instantaneous separation. · Simultaneous removal of three different pharmaceuticals.