Adsorption Behavior of a Ternary Covalent Organic Polymer Anchored with SO3H for Ciprofloxacin

Abstract

Owing to the poor treatment efficiency of wastewater containing fluoroquinolones (FQs), effective removal of such pollutants has become a significant issue in waste management. In this study, a ternary covalent organic polymer anchored with SO3H (COP-SO3H) was designed using the Schiff reaction and a multicomponent solvent thermal method. The synthesized COP-SO3H polymer possesses multiple functional binding sites, including amide groups, sulfonic groups, and aromatic frameworks, enabling it to effectively adsorb ciprofloxacin (which belongs to FQs) through mechanisms such as pore-filling effects, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π electron donor–acceptor (EDA) interactions, and hydrophilic–lipophilic balance. COP-SO3H demonstrated outstanding adsorption performance for ciprofloxacin, exhibiting a high adsorption capacity, broad pH stability, strong resistance to ionic interference, and good regenerability. Moreover, it displayed preferential selectivity toward fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The present study not only investigates the intricate structural and functional design of COP-SO3H materials but also presents potential applications for the efficient adsorption of specific antibiotics.