Green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and its efficiency in degradation of rifampicin antibiotic Dennis Mwanza Nzilu *1 , Edwin Shigwenya Madivoli., 1 ; David Sujee Makhanu., 2 ; Sammy Indire Wanakai. 1 ; Gideon Kirui Kiprono, 1 ; and Patrick Gachoki Kareru., 1 ; 1 Chemistry Department, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya 2 Department of Biological & Physical Sciences, Karatina University, Kenya Water scarcity and pollution are global challenges affecting many of the world's population. Aquatic pollution by antibiotics remains a concern in the environmental remediation of active pharmaceutical ingredients contamination. Green nanotechnology is one of the fascinating research areas currently finding application in the remediation of environmental pollution. This study synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) using an aqueous extract of the Parthenium hysterophorus plant as a reducing and capping agent. The synthesis of CuO NPs was confirmed by its surface plasmonic resonance peak at 340 nm by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer and Cu-O stretching band at 522 cm -1 obtained from Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that CuO NPs were spherical with an average particle size of 59.99 nm. Powder X-Ray Diffraction analysis showed that CuO NPs had a monoclinic crystalline structure consistent with previous studies using plant extracts as reducing and capping agents to synthesize CuO NPs. The Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis revealed that the nanoparticles were polydisperse with little agglomeration evidence. The nanoparticles were in turn investigated on their degradation ability against a model antibiotic, rifampicin. The degradation studies were also conducted by varying CuO NPs dose, rifampicin concentration, pH, temperature, and reaction time parameter conditions. The degradation efficiency of more than 98% was obtained at combined optimal conditions of 50 mg CuO NPs, 10 mg/L rifampicin solution, pH 2, and at 65 ℃ within 8 minutes. The thermodynamic parameters of change in heat and entropy were experimentally determined to be 45.87 kJ mol -1 and 108.03 J K -1 respectively while the kinetics of degradation of rifampicin was found to fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model experimentally. In this light, green synthesized CuO NPs proved to be promising nanomaterials for removing antibiotics in water systems in an environmentally friendly manner. References 1. Kairigo, P., Ngumba, E., Sundberg, L. R., Gachanja, A., & Tuhkanen, T. (2020). Occurrence of antibiotics and risk of antibiotic resistance evolution in selected Kenyan wastewaters, surface waters and sediments. Science of The Total Environment , 720 , 137580. 2. Mwanza, N. D., Shigwenya, M. E., Makhanu, S. D., Victor, O. B., Gachoki, K. P., & Kinoti, K. P. (2023). Environmental remediation using nanomaterial as adsorbents for emerging micropollutants. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management , 100789. 3. Polianciuc, S. I., Gurzău, A. E., Kiss, B., Ştefan, M. G., & Loghin, F. (2020). Antibiotics in the environment: causes and consequences. Medicine and pharmacy reports , 93 (3), 231. 4. Wanakai, I. S., Kareru, G. P., Sujee, M. D., Madivoli, S. E., Gachui, M. E., & Kairigo, K. P. (2023). Kinetics of Rifampicin Antibiotic Degradation Using Green Synthesized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles. Chemistry Africa , 6 (2), 967-981.
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