Research Projects

In this proposal, a work plan has been presented to investigate the degradation of five most widely used antibiotics (viz. Clarithromycin, Erythromycin, Amoxicillin, Ofloxacin, and Tetracycline) using Ni-based layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalyst and their toxicity in wastewater. The Ni-based LDH will be prepared through the green synthesis method and characterized using various analytical techniques such as XRD, XPS, FESEM, TEM, FTIR, DRS, etc. Prior to the main experiments, the optimization of operating parameters such as pH, temperature, catalyst loading, ultrasound frequency, initial concentration of antibiotics etc will also be performed. The reaction kinetics modeling and analysis of thermodynamic parameters will be performed in order to understand the reduction mechanism of total organic carbon (TOC) in the system. Finally, the antimicrobial activity test will be carried out using gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia Coli) and gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus Subtilis). While the eco-toxicity and phytotoxicity test will be carried out using Sinapis Alba (S. Alba) and Zea Mays (Z. Mays). PI mention that none of the reported studies has investigated the degradation mechanism of antibiotics using LDHs.