A cellulose-based hybrid material (cellulose-PA/Fe-MoS2) for the combined adsorptive and photocatalytic removal of levofloxacin from aqueous solutions

The rising contamination of water resources by levofloxacin (LEV) requires advanced remediation strategies that exceed the capabilities of the conventional methods. This study reports the rational design of a novel, multi-functional cellulose-phytic acid/Fe-MoS 2 (cellulose-PA/Fe-MoS 2 ) hybrid composite for the highly efficient removal of LEV via synergistic adsorption and photocatalysis. Cellulose served as sustainable substrate and phytic acid acted as a natural cross-linker to enhance the integration and distribution of Fe-MoS 2 onto cellulose substrate. This designed architecture results in enhanced hydrophilicity, minimized MoS 2 aggregation, and a maximized density of active sites, as confirmed by comprehensive characterization (SEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, BET, LC-MS, EPR). The prepared composite demonstrated exceptional, temperature-dependent LEV adsorption capacities of up to 210.97 mg/g (95%) within 40 min, with kinetics and isotherms best described by pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, indicative of chemisorption. The adsorption mechanism driven by a combination of electrostatic attraction, π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and coordination complexation, resulting in effective removal across a broad pH range (3−10). The cellulose-PA/Fe-MoS 2 exhibited photocatalytic effect, achieving efficient degradation of levofloxacin (LEV) (98.5%) within short time (15 mins) into small molecules (CO 2 , H 2 O, NH 3 , NO 3 , F, …etc.) as confirmed with LC-MS, driven primarily by reactive species (•O 2 − , •OH, h + ). In addition, it was demonstrated good recyclability, maintaining high performance over five consecutive cycles. These findings suggest that the designed cellulose-PA/Fe-MoS 2 composite could be used as a green and sustainable multifunctional material to simultaneously remove and degrade antibiotics from water environments.