Montmorillonite-loaded copper sulfide for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride from aqueous solutions

Montmorillonite-loaded copper sulfide for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride from aqueous solutions | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Montmorillonite-loaded copper sulfide for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride from aqueous solutions Wenshi Bao, Kehao Li, Jiajin Ren, Weijie Fan, Fan Zhang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8933348/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Copper sulfide (CuS) is a common catalytic degradation material, but its adsorption performance for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) remains insufficiently studied. In this work, a modified CuS material was developed for the adsorption of TCH in water. Montmorillonite (MMT) was employed as a carrier to enhance the dispersion of CuS, resulting in the synthesis of montmorillonite-loaded CuS (CuS@MMT). Comprehensive characterization revealed that the composite material exhibited a block like morphology with nanoflower clusters anchored on the supports, demonstrating good crystallinity and a structure comprising hexagonal CuS and montmorillonite phases. The (001) diffraction peak of the composite shifted compared to the standard MMT reference, indicating an expanded interlayer spacing of montmorillonite and successful intercalation of CuS into the interlayers, which effectively dispersed CuS particles. During the purification process, the leaching concentration of Cu ions was measured at 1.6 mg·L-1, demonstrating minimal secondary contamination. Adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, suggesting chemisorption as the rate-limiting step. Isothermal adsorption data aligned with the Langmuir model, confirming monolayer adsorption. A response surface methodology (RSM) based on the DM matrix was employed for mathematical modeling and optimization, yielding optimal adsorption conditions: adsorbent dosage of 0.08 g, initial TCH concentration of 20 mg·L-1, and pH 6.5, achieving a 100% removal efficiency. Recyclability tests showed that the material maintained an adsorption capacity of 25 mg·g-1 after five cycles. Among coexisting anions, CO32- exerted the most significant inhibitory effect on TCH adsorption, while Cl- and SO42- showed minor impacts. Remarkably, the material exhibited high adsorption capacities exceeding 151 mg·g-1 for TCH in real water matrices, including tap water, Xuanwu Lake water, and Yangtze River water, highlighting its practical applicability in natural aqueous environments. Modified copper sulfide Tetracycline hydrochloride Water treatment Response surface methodology Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 10 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 25 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 21 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8933348","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":603547515,"identity":"d193b63e-d997-42f6-aae4-268745383df9","order_by":0,"name":"Wenshi Bao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nanjing Agricultural University - Weigang Campus: Nanjing Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wenshi","middleName":"","lastName":"Bao","suffix":""},{"id":603547516,"identity":"223ab224-4c3d-4156-9e91-1887822884ca","order_by":1,"name":"Kehao Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nanjing Agricultural University - Weigang Campus: Nanjing Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kehao","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":603547517,"identity":"772e1bee-e649-4813-9a16-d432a113977d","order_by":2,"name":"Jiajin Ren","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nanjing Agricultural University - Weigang Campus: Nanjing Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jiajin","middleName":"","lastName":"Ren","suffix":""},{"id":603547518,"identity":"6f85b9bd-2e17-42cd-88aa-2a4efc6d8949","order_by":3,"name":"Weijie Fan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nanjing Agricultural University - Weigang Campus: Nanjing Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Weijie","middleName":"","lastName":"Fan","suffix":""},{"id":603547519,"identity":"fd860d38-856b-407e-937e-c8c36631b9c8","order_by":4,"name":"Fan Zhang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA60lEQVRIie3PsUoDQRCA4VkW7pqFtJMi+gorgRBIkVeZra4xNjYWFiOBswnY+hixknQTDnLN2l95QbC2kqvUO22s1i0F9+8G5mMYgFTqDzbSat1S93ECIMOsfyfj23Vpjxs9jSfW1zxuM+34e44g0Di2ZLLiUVUvCFcLx/mTBIW6d9zS3Kx2fJgh+MKxuaAg0fh1BVdbkRmqsnKMxgZJ1hOkzBZW6jdU7xHEmP1AiKz4/gpHEMxvSus2crYVfzmnQzEtzXmYLKv8+dh1cmqb+qF5vV5M7nIfJj/uCQAN30Xu9404fjeVSqX+V5+hOUtELwlXlwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4835-693X","institution":"Nanjing Agricultural University - 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In this work, a modified CuS material was developed for the adsorption of TCH in water. Montmorillonite (MMT) was employed as a carrier to enhance the dispersion of CuS, resulting in the synthesis of montmorillonite-loaded CuS (CuS@MMT). Comprehensive characterization revealed that the composite material exhibited a block like morphology with nanoflower clusters anchored on the supports, demonstrating good crystallinity and a structure comprising hexagonal CuS and montmorillonite phases. The (001) diffraction peak of the composite shifted compared to the standard MMT reference, indicating an expanded interlayer spacing of montmorillonite and successful intercalation of CuS into the interlayers, which effectively dispersed CuS particles. During the purification process, the leaching concentration of Cu ions was measured at 1.6 mg·L-1, demonstrating minimal secondary contamination. Adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, suggesting chemisorption as the rate-limiting step. Isothermal adsorption data aligned with the Langmuir model, confirming monolayer adsorption. A response surface methodology (RSM) based on the DM matrix was employed for mathematical modeling and optimization, yielding optimal adsorption conditions: adsorbent dosage of 0.08 g, initial TCH concentration of 20 mg·L-1, and pH 6.5, achieving a 100% removal efficiency. Recyclability tests showed that the material maintained an adsorption capacity of 25 mg·g-1 after five cycles. Among coexisting anions, CO32- exerted the most significant inhibitory effect on TCH adsorption, while Cl- and SO42- showed minor impacts. Remarkably, the material exhibited high adsorption capacities exceeding 151 mg·g-1 for TCH in real water matrices, including tap water, Xuanwu Lake water, and Yangtze River water, highlighting its practical applicability in natural aqueous environments.","manuscriptTitle":"Montmorillonite-loaded copper sulfide for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride from aqueous solutions","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-13 13:30:54","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8933348/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2026-03-25T07:57:48+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-10T05:39:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-02-25T07:38:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","date":"2026-02-21T07:08:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"korean-journal-of-chemical-engineering","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"kjce","sideBox":"Learn more about [Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering](http://link.springer.com/journal/11814)","snPcode":"11814","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/kjce/default2.aspx","title":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Subscription","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f4fe0330-c972-4a5e-951e-0d9b24152375","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 13th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-18T14:53:25+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-13 13:30:54","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8933348","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8933348","identity":"rs-8933348","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}