Innovative pH-responsive C-Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8 composites: A dual-advantage approach for enhanced drug delivery and environmental sustainability

Antibiotics like doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) are widely used in medicine, but their environmental residues pose risks to human health and ecosystems. This study optimized the synthesis of C-Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8 composites using response surface methodology (RSM) to enhance DOX release efficiency, thereby mitigating environmental antibiotic contamination. Under optimized conditions (37 °C, pH 5.0), the C-Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8 composite achieved a significant increase in cumulative DOX release, from 40.8% to 61.1%. The pH-responsive release further validated the optimization strategy. Characterization via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed a structural transformation from rhombic dodecahedral crystals to more stable spherical particles with enhanced crystallinity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed an increase in surface-active sites and oxygen-containing functional groups, contributing to improved drug release efficiency. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing C-Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8 for drug delivery, advancing environmentally friendly antibiotic management strategies.