GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The contamination of aquatic ecosystems with antibiotic residues poses significant risks to human and ecological health. This study explores the modification of alginate using three ionic liquids (ILs) butyl methyl imidazolium (BMIm), hexyl methyl imidazolium (HMIm), and octyl methyl imidazolium (OMIm) to develop IL-alginate composites for fluoroquinolone antibiotic removal from water. ILs, organic salts with tunable physicochemical properties, particularly hydrophobicity, influence interactions with contaminants. Alginate, a biocompatible and cost-effective polysaccharide, is widely used in environmental applications due to its gel-forming ability. IL-alginate composites, synthesized with varying IL ratios and crosslinked using calcium chloride, will be characterized using FTIR, SEM, TGA, and BET analyses to assess chemical composition, surface morphology, thermal stability, and porosity. Adsorption studies under different conditions will evaluate how IL alkyl chain length affects composite hydrophobicity and adsorption efficiency. This research aims to optimize IL-alginate composites for antibiotic removal, providing insights into IL structure-function relationships and advancing sustainable water treatment technologies.