One-Step Synthesis of Metal-Modified Nanomagnetic Materials and Their Application in the Removal of Chlortetracycline

[Image: see text] Magnetic nanomaterials are promising heterogeneous catalysts for environmental applications. According to X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating-sample magnetometer, a kind of copper-modified nanomagnetic material (Cu-nFe(3)O(4)) was successfully prepared by a one-step synthesis method. Among them, compared with the two-step synthesis method of Cu/Fe(3)O(4) and Cu/nFe(3)O(4), Cu-nFe(3)O(4) has the best effect on chlortetracycline (CTC) removal. The batch study results indicate that the maximum removal of chlortetracycline is 99.0% at a dosage = 2.0 g L(–1), copper loading = 0.8 mM, and C(0) = 100 mg L(–1) at the optimum conditions within 90 min. The effects of humic acids (HA), NO(3)(–), Cl(–), CO(3)(2–), and PO(4)(3–) on the CTC removal by Cu-nFe(3)O(4) are also investigated. Repeated experiments were performed on the prepared Cu-nFe(3)O(4), indicating that Cu-nFe(3)O(4) has good recyclability. The kinetics of the Cu-nFe(3)O(4) removal of CTC was investigated, indicating that the reaction conformed to the double constant model and the reaction is mainly dominated by a chemical reaction with physical adsorption. Finally, the mechanism of the CTC removal by Cu-nFe(3)O(4) in a heterogeneous environment was clarified. This study aims to provide an experimental basis for the environmental application of Cu-nFe(3)O(4).