Abstract
The electrochemical stability of ceftriaxone (CFTX), belonging to the third generation of cephalosporin antibiotics, was studied by electrochemical measurements recorded on a platinum electrode (Pt) in aqueous solutions containing sodium halides. The electrochemical behavior of ceftriaxone was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and constant current density electrolysis assisted by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Cyclic voltammetry highlighted that the addition of CFTX in sodium halide solutions leads to significant changes in the hysteresis characteristics due to specific interactions with active species from electrolytes, as well as with the platinum electrode surface. After CV, when an exterior electric stimulus in short time (40 s) was applied, the UV-Vis spectra illustrated that CFTX is stable in the presence of F− ions, it is electro(degraded/transformed) in the presence of Cl− and Br− ions and interacts instantly with I− species. Electrolysis at constant current density confirms the results obtained from cyclic voltammetry, showing that (i) in the presence of fluoride ions CFTX gradually decomposes, but not completely, in about 60 min, without identifying a reaction product; (ii) chloride and bromide ions determine the almost complete CFTX electro(degradation/transformation) in 10 and 5 min, respectively, with completion of the electro-transformation reaction after 60 and 30 min, respectively; (iii) instantaneous interactions between CFTX and the iodide ions occurred.
Highlights
The antibiotics detected in hospital, municipal and industrial pharmaceutical wastewaters can lead to selective proliferation of some microorganisms [1,2], and their removal from different contaminated resources has become a concern, in recent years, for many researchers [1,2]
The CFTX electrochemical behavior depends on the specific interactions of the antibiotic molecules with halides as well as with the electrogenerated species during anodic potential scanning
For the supporting electrolyte solution containing F− (Figure 1a), on the anodic scan a small peak at −0.8 V can be observed which corresponds to platinum hydroxide/oxyhydroxide formation and their adsorption on electrode surface [33,34,35], reactions
Summary
The antibiotics detected in hospital, municipal and industrial pharmaceutical wastewaters can lead to selective proliferation of some microorganisms [1,2], and their removal from different contaminated resources has become a concern, in recent years, for many researchers [1,2]. The biological release of drugs and their degradation compounds could lead to contamination of surface waters and sediments [8]. The cephalosporins can be classified into the first, second, third and fourth generation. According to this classification, ceftriaxone is the third-generation agent produced by the Fungus Cephalosporinum acremonium, a class of β-lactam type, used to inhibit the bacterial wall cell synthesis
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