In situ scrutinize the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole in water using AFM force spectroscopy: Molecular adhesion force determination and fractionation

Jiayi Wu; Rui Wang; Yuyao Zhang; Baoliang Chen; Xiaoying Zhu

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.128128

In situ scrutinize the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole in water using AFM force spectroscopy: Molecular adhesion force determination and fractionation

J Hazard Mater. 2022 Mar 15:426:128128. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.128128. Epub 2021 Dec 21.

Authors

Jiayi Wu¹, Rui Wang², Yuyao Zhang³, Baoliang Chen⁴, Xiaoying Zhu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: wujiayi0212@zju.edu.cn.
² Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: ruiw@zju.edu.cn.
³ Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: 3130102975@zju.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: blchen@zju.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: zhux@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 34968847
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.128128

Abstract

The interaction force of a typical antibiotic molecule during adsorption has never been experimentally determined and fractionated, which hindered the evolution of removal strategies. In this study, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as a typical antibiotic was stably immobilized onto an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip without affecting original properties. The SMX modified AFM tip visualized the potential adsorption sites on a graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet for the first time by mapping the SMX adhesion force distribution. Moreover, the interaction force of a single SMX molecule to GO was determined at 38.6 pN which was subsequently fractionated into the hydrophobic (17.9 pN) and π-π (160.0 pN) attractions as well as the electrostatic repulsion (- 139.3 pN) at pH: 5.7. As compared with highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), the introduced oxygen containing groups on GO not only reduced the hydrophobic interaction but also generated an opposite electrostatic repulsion force to SMX. This study experimentally and theoretically revealed the adhesion mechanisms of SMX and potentially other sulfonamide antibiotics in molecular level, which may contribute to the study of antibiotic environmental transportation and the development of next-generation antibiotic remediation protocols.

Keywords: AFM force spectroscopy; Adhesion force fractionation; Adsorption site visualization; Graphene oxide; Sulfamethoxazole.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Graphite*
Microscopy, Atomic Force
Spectrum Analysis
Sulfamethoxazole*
Water

Substances

Water
Graphite
Sulfamethoxazole