The adsorption of 17β-estradiol on carbon nanostructures

Resumo

The absence of proper treatment and disposal of chemical residues can realize substance, as endocrine disruptors, on the environment, affecting mainly water quality and causing irreversible damage to fauna, flora and humans. There is a growing number of publications highlighting the toxicity of these compounds, which affect the endocrine system of the animals exposed to it. The adsorption is a promising technique for removing pollutants from wastewater, in which the carbon nanostructures have been suggested as possible adsorbent materials. In this way, the aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction of carbon nanostructures with 17β-estradiol via computer simulations in order to explore the ability of the substance adsorption by these nanostructures. The results show that the interactions occur via physical adsorption, where greater stability were obtained with the 17β-estradiol interacting with the carbon nanotube, indicating the use of these systems as possible filters in wastewater.