Oxidative degradation of levofloxacin by water-soluble manganese dioxide in aqueous acidic medium: a kinetic study

Pharmaceuticals, especially fluoroquinolone antibiotics, have received increasing global concern, due to their intensive use in the environment and potential harm to ecological system as well as human health. Degradation of antibiotics, such as oxidative degradation by metal oxides, often plays an important role in the elimination of antibiotics from the environment. The kinetics of oxidation of levofloxacin by water-soluble manganese dioxide has been studied in aqueous acidic medium at 25 °C temperature. The stoichiometry for the reaction indicates that the oxidation of 1 mol of levofloxacin requires 1 mol of manganese dioxide. The reaction is second order, that is first order with respect to manganese dioxide and levofloxacin. The rate of reaction increases with the increasing H⁺] ion concentration. A probable reaction mechanism, in agreement with the observed kinetic results, has been proposed and discussed. The energy and enthalpy of activation have been calculated to be 30.54 and 28.07 kJ mol^?1, respectively.