Microwave-assisted MOF@biomass layered nanomaterials: Characterization and applications in wastewater treatment

Assessing the efficiency and reusability of zirconium-based MOF-biochar composite for the removal of Pb (II) and Cd (II) in single and multi-ionic systems

Recent studies have highlighted the promising properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOF) and biochar composites as cost effective adsorbents. Although MOF-biochar composites have shown significant potential for contaminant removal in aquatic environments, further research is needed for their scalable performance in removing a wide range of emerging contaminants from wastewater. In this paper, we introduce a novel UiO67-biochar composite (MBC) for the first time, synthesised via an in-situ solvothermal method, as an innovative solution for removing heavy metals from water. The composite was characterised by various analytical techniques (SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, BET, and TGA) and the results demonstrated that the specific surface area of the composite (≈540 m2/g) elevated 28 times compared to the unmodified biochar (≈20 m2/g). The adsorption tests indicate remarkable adsorption capacity and removal efficiency in the range of 121.1 mg/g and 90.8 % as well as 59.7 mg/g and 89.5 % for Pb (II) and Cd (II), respectively, which sustained under impacts of co-existing ions. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the experimental data for both heavy metal ions were best described by the Pseudo-second order kinetic model, inferring that chemical interactions mainly control adsorption. The formulated material showed promising stability (retained crystallinity confirmed by XRD analysis) over reusability tests with approximately 87 % removal efficiency. The ion exchange, surface complexation, and electrostatic interactions were the main adsorption mechanisms of the heavy metal ions on the MBC composite. The formulated composite proposed in this study offers scalable, sustainable, and affordable material to treat heavy metal-polluted water and wastewater.

MOF biochar composites for environmental protection and pollution control

Research studies on Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF) based composites and their potential applications in environmental engineering and pollution control have recently emerged. An attractive material to form MOF composites is biochar (BC); a low-cost, highly porous carbonaceous by-product of biomass pyrolysis. This paper presents a critical review on MOF-biochar composites, focusing on fabrication, characterisation, modification, and applications in environmental protection and pollution control. The adsorption mechanisms and influential parameters are systematically examined to develop an insight into interactions between MOF and biochar in remedial process. The adsorption capacity of composites is generally doubled compared to the standalone biochar, while MOFs maintain their crystallinity, even over multiple regeneration cycles, indicating the composites' long-term applicability and sustainability. These findings highlight the potential of MOF-biochar composites for environmental applications and identify key areas for further research to enhance their sustainability in environmental protection and green energy.

Enhancing fluoride ion removal from aqueous solutions and glass manufacturing wastewater using modified orange peel biochar magnetic composite with MIL-53

In this study, we developed new adsorbents derived from orange peel biochar (BCOP) and enhanced them with CoFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (BCOP/CoFe2O4) and MIL-53(Al) (BCOP/CoFe2O4/MIL-53(Al)). These adsorbents were utilized to remove fluoride (FL) ions from aqueous solutions. We analyzed the properties of these adsorbents using a range of techniques, including FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX-Map, VSM, Raman spectroscopy, and BET. Our findings indicate that the components interact effectively with one another. Specifically, the BCOP/CoFe2O4/MIL-53(Al) sample exhibited a specific surface area of 196.430 m2/g and a magnetic saturation value of 9.704 emu/g. The maximum FL ion adsorption capacities for BCOP, BCOP/CoFe2O4, and BCOP/CoFe2O4/MIL-53(Al) were 7.618, 16.330, and 37.320 mg/g, respectively, indicating that the modifications significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity. The optimum fluoride ion removal rates using BCOP, BCOP/CoFe2O4, and BCOP/CoFe2O4/MIL-53(Al) were 97.88%, 98.23%, and 99.06%, respectively, at adsorbent doses of 2.5, 1.5, and 0.8 g/L, contact times of 90, 70, and 50 min, pH 4, temperature 50 °C, and a FL concentration of 10 mg/L. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, with increased randomness between the adsorbent and fluoride ions. Kinetic analyses showed that fluoride ion adsorption by BCOP/CoFe2O4/MIL-53(Al) followed a pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, while BCOP and BCOP/CoFe2O4 followed a pseudo-first-order (PFO) model. Additionally, the equilibrium data for fluoride ion adsorption on BCOP/CoFe2O4/MIL-53(Al) adhered to the Freundlich model, whereas the other samples conformed to the Langmuir model. The study evaluates the effectiveness of BCOP, BCOP/CoFe2O4, and BCOP/CoFe2O4/MIL-53(Al) in removing FL ions from glass manufacturing wastewater, highlighting the superior performance of the magnetic composite due to its enhanced surface area and functional groups. Notably, the adsorbents demonstrated good regenerative capabilities, maintaining high performance over multiple adsorption cycles.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of novel Ti/BTB-MOFs as porous anticancer and antibacterial agents

Nano compounds, especially metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have significant properties. Among the most important properties of these compounds, which depend on their specific surface area and porosity, are biological properties, such as anticancer and antibacterial properties. In this study, a new titanium/BTB metal-organic framework (Ti/BTB-MOF) was synthesized by using titanium nitrate and 1,3,5-Tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene (BTB) under microwave radiation. The structure of the synthesized Ti/BTB-MOF was characterized and confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis mapping, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The in vitro anticancer properties of Ti/BTB-MOF were evaluated using the MTT method against MG-63/bone cancer cells and A-431/skin cancer cells. The in vitro antibacterial activity was tested using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. In the anticancer activity, IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) values of 152 μg/mL and 201 μg/mL for MG-63/bone cancer cells and A-431/skin cancer cells, respectively, were observed. In the antibacterial activity, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 2-64 μg/mL were observed against studied pathogenic strains. The antimicrobial activity of Ti/BTB-MOF was higher than that of penicillin and gentamicin. Therefore, the synthesized Ti/BTB-MOF could be introduced as a suitable bioactive candidate.

Development of hybrid MIL-53(Al)@CBS for ternary adsorption of tetracyclines antibiotics in water: Physical interpretation of the adsorption mechanism

In this study, a hybrid material, MIL-53(Al)@CBS, was synthesized via the solvothermal method, involving the growth of MIL-53(Al) crystals on cocoa bean shell residues (CBS). Physicochemical characterization techniques, including TGA, BET, FTIR, XRD, and SEM, confirmed successful hybridization. MIL-53(Al)@CBS was employed as an adsorbent for antibiotics (oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline) separation from aqueous solutions. Parameters like pH, adsorbent dose, concentration, time, and temperature were systematically evaluated. FTIR revealed π-π interactions and hydrogen bonds between tetracyclines and the adsorbent. MIL-53(Al)@CBS exhibited adsorption, with removal rates up to 98.92%, 99.04%, and 98.24% for OTC, TC, and CTC, respectively. Kinetics suggested adsorption depends on active site availability, with TC adsorbing fastest. Microscopic models showed adsorption on three distinct active site types with different affinities without competition or adherence to the Langmuir hypothesis. Importantly, MIL-53(Al)@CBS maintained high adsorption capacity even after ten washing cycles, highlighting its potential for water treatment.

Imidazolate framework material for crude oil removal in aqueus media: Mechanism insight

Considerable amount of produced water discharged by the oil industry contributes to an environmental imbalance due to the presence of several components potentially harmful to the ecosystem. We investigated the factors influencing the adsorption capacity of Zinc Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) in finite bath systems for crude oil removal from petroleum extraction in synthetic produced water. ZIF-8, experimentally obtained by solvothermal method, was characterized by XRD, FTIR, TGA, BET and its point of zero charge (pHpcz) was determined. Synthesized material showed high crystallinity, with surface area equal to 1558 m2 g-1 and thermal stability equivalent to 400 °C. Adsorption tests revealed, based on the Sips model, that the process takes place in a heterogeneous system. Additionally, intraparticle diffusion model exhibited multilinearity characteristics during adsorption process. Thermodynamic investigation demonstrated that adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic, indicating a physisorption phenomenon. These properties enable the use of ZIF-8 in oil adsorption, which presented an adsorption capacity equal to 452.9 mg g-1. Adsorption mechanism was based on hydrophobic interactions, through apolar groups present on ZIF-8 structure and oil hydrocarbons, and electrostatic interactions, through the difference in charges between positive surface of adsorbent and negatively charged oil droplets.

MIL-53(Al)@HC nanohybrid for bicomponent adsorption of ibuprofen and metsulfuron-methyl: Application of macro- and microscopic models and competition between contaminants

In this work, a hybrid was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment, metal-organic framework functionalized with hydrochar (MIL-53(Al)@HC) for the adsorption of two organic molecules Ibuprofen sodium salt and Metsulfuron-methyl, in binary system. The hybrid is composed of 71 wt% biomass and 29 wt% MOF. TGA, BET, FTIR, XRD and XPS characterization techniques were used to verify the hybridization of MIL-53(Al)@HC. The MIL-53(Al)@HC hybrid showed in situ MIL-53(Al) crystal growth capability. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to study the effect of pH, adsorbent dosage, adsorbate concentration, contact time and temperature effect. The results obtained under extreme conditions demonstrate that MIL-53(Al)@HC is an adsorbent capable of removing >98% of IBU and MTM in mixture at a concentration of 0.3 mM (68 ppm IBU and 115 ppm MTM). The pseudo-second order model adequately described the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium using the Sips and Freundlich models. The physico-statistical microscopic model (2-layer) corroborated the hypothesis of a multilayer adsorption proposed by the macroscopic Freundlich model. In the competition study between IBU and MTM, both antagonistic and synergistic effects were observed. In the thermodynamic study, positive values of (ΔH°) indicate that adsorption is endothermic in nature and that the dominant mechanism is physisorption. A mechanism of adsorption by hydrogen bridging and non-covalent π*-π adsorbate-adsorbate and adsorbate-adsorbate-adsorbate interactions was proposed. The desorption study shows that in 5 washing cycles MIL-53(Al)@HC is a recoverable material.

Functionalization strategies of metal-organic frameworks for biomedical applications and treatment of emerging pollutants: A review

One of the representative coordination polymers, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) material, is of hotspot interest in the multi field thanks to their unique structural characteristics and properties. As a novel hierarchical structural class, MOFs show diverse topologies, intrinsic behaviors, flexibility, etc. However, bare MOFs have less desirable biofunction, high humid sensitivity and instability in water, restraining their efficiencies in biomedical and environmental applications. Thus, a structural modification is required to address such drawbacks. Herein, we pinpoint new strategies in the synthesis and functionalization of MOFs to meet demanding requirements in in vitro tests, i.e., antibacterial face masks against corona virus infection and in wound healing and nanocarriers for drug delivery in anticancer. Regarding the treatment of wastewater containing emerging pollutants such as POPs, PFAS, and PPCPs, functionalized MOFs showed excellent performance with high efficiency and selectivity. Challenges in toxicity, vast database of clinical trials for biomedical tests and production cost can be still presented. MOFs-based composites can be, however, a bright candidate for reasonable replacement of traditional nanomaterials in biomedical and wastewater treatment applications.