Removal of meloxicam, piroxicam and Cd+2 by Fe3O4/SiO2/glycidyl methacrylate-S-SH nanocomposite loaded with laccase

For the simultaneous removal of water contaminants, a novel nanocomposite has been produced. The iron oxide core with silica shell was used to prepare functional magnetic polymer Fe3O4/SiO2/glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-S-SH nanocomposite. The sulfur functional nanocomposite is suitable for the immobilization of laccase enzyme. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, XRD, and magnetometer. The effect of pH, temperature, and storage time over free and immobilized enzyme was studied that indicating the higher stability of immobilized enzyme than that free one. The prepared novel nanocomposite showed high adsorption capacity toward Cd+2 ions in addition to the degradation of meloxicam and piroxicam anti-inflammatory drugs. The removal efficiency reached up to 94% ± 2%, 92% ± 2%, and 95% ± 2% for Cd+2 ions, meloxicam, and piroxicam, respectively at optimum pH and temperature. Also, the results show that this nanocomposite is recyclable. The efficient removal of Cd+2 ions and pharmaceuticals can be reached up to four cycles. We conclude that the prepared nanocomposite is promising for water treatment.