Polydopamine-mediated modification of ZIF-8 onto magnetic nanoparticles for enhanced tetracycline adsorption from wastewater

Magnetic solid-phase extraction of tetracyclines from milk using metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 functionalised hydrophilic magnetic nanoparticles

Novel metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 functionalised hydrophilic polydopamine-modified Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA@MIL-101(Cr)-NH2) were synthesised and used as magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbents for extracting tetracyclines (TCs) from milk samples. The integrated Fe3O4@PDA@MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 exhibited convenient magnetic separation and exceptional multi-target binding capabilities. Furthermore, the PDA coating significantly enhanced the hydrophilicity and extraction efficiency of the material, thereby facilitating the extraction of trace TCs. Various factors affecting MSPE, such as adsorbent dosage, extraction time, pH value, and desorption conditions, were optimised. The developed MSPE method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography demonstrated good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9989), acceptable accuracy (82.2%-106.1%), good repeatability (intra-day precision of 0.8%-4.7% and inter-day precision of 1.1%-4.5%), low limits of detection (2.18-6.25 μg L-1), and low limits of quantification (6.54-18.75 μg L-1) in TCs detection. The approach was successfully used for the quantification of trace TCs in real milk samples.

Separable Metal-Organic Framework-Based Materials for the Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants

Thousands of chemicals have been released into the environment in recent decades. The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in water has emerged as a pressing concern. Adsorption is a viable solution for the removal of ECs. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great potential as efficient adsorbents, but their dispersed powder form limits their practical applications. Recently, researchers have developed various separable MOF-based adsorbents to improve their recyclability. The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest developments in the construction of separable MOF-based adsorbents and their applications in adsorbing ECs. The construction strategies for separable MOFs are classified into four categories: magnetic MOFs, MOF-fiber composites, MOF gels, and binder-assisted shaping. Typical emerging contaminants include pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and endocrine-disrupting compounds. The adsorption performance of different materials is evaluated based on the results of static and dynamic adsorption experiments. Additionally, the regeneration methods of MOF-based adsorbents are discussed in detail to facilitate effective recycling and reuse. Finally, challenges and potential future research opportunities are proposed, including reducing performance losses during the shaping process, developing assessment systems based on dynamic purification and real polluted water, optimizing regeneration methods, designing multifunctional MOFs, and low-cost, large-scale synthesis of MOFs.

Recent progress in magnetic polydopamine composites for pollutant removal in wastewater treatment

Various water pollution issues pose a significant threat to human water safety. Magnetic polydopamine composites (MPCs), which can be separated by magnetic fields after the adsorption process, exhibit outstanding adsorption capacity and heterogeneous catalytic properties, making them promising materials for water treatment applications. In particular, by modifying the polydopamine (PDA) coating, MPCs can acquire enhanced high reactivity, antibacterial properties, and biocompatibility. This also provides an attractive platform for further fabrication of hybrid materials with specific adsorption, catalytic, antibacterial, and water-oil separation capabilities. To systematically provide the background knowledge and recent research advances in MPCs, this paper presents a critical review of MPCs for water treatment in terms of both structure and mechanisms of effect in applications. Firstly, the impact of different PDA positions within the composite structure is investigated to summarize the optimization of properties contributed by PDA when acting as the shell, core, or bridge. The roles of various secondary modifications of magnetic materials by PDA in addressing water pollution problems are explored. It is anticipated that this work will be a stimulus for further research and development of magnetic composite materials with real-world application potential.

Mg2+- or Ca2+-regulated aptamer adsorption on polydopamine-coated magnetic nanoparticles for fluorescence detection of ochratoxin A

It has been observed that polyvalent metal ions can mediate the adsorption of DNA on polydopamine (PDA) surfaces. Exploiting this, we used two divalent metal ions (Mg2+ or Ca2+) to promote the adsorption of fluorescence-labelled ochratoxin A (OTA) aptamers on PDA-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA). Based on the different adsorption affinities of free aptamers and OTA-bound aptamers, a facile assay method was established for OTA detection. The aptamers adsorbed on Fe3O4@PDA were removed via simple magnetic separation, and the remaining aptamers in the supernatant exhibited a positive correlation with the OTA concentration. The concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+ were finely tuned to attain the optimal adsorption affinity and sensitivity for OTA detection. In addition, other factors, including the Fe3O4@PDA dosage, pH, mixing order, and incubation time, were studied. Finally, under optimized conditions, a detection limit (3σ/s) of 1.26 ng/mL was achieved for OTA. Real samples of spiked red wine were analysed with this aptamer-based method. This is the first report of regulating aptamer adsorption on the PDA surface with polyvalent metal ions for OTA detection. By changing the aptamers, the method can be easily extended to other target analytes.

Bimetal doped Cu-Fe-ZIF-8/g-C3N4 nanocomposites for the adsorption of tetracycline hydrochloride from water

Bimetal doped Cu-Fe-zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8)/graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) (Cu-Fe-ZIF-8/GCN) nanocomposites were prepared via one-pot and ion-exchange methods. The main influencing factors, such as adsorbent concentration, TC concentration, initial pH, and coexisting ions, were evaluated in detail. Due to the suitable pore structures and the presence of multiple interactions on the surface, the nanocomposite showed a high adsorption capacity up to 932 mg g-1 for tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), outperforming ZIF-8 by 4.8 times. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm were depicted in good detail using pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir models, respectively. Thermodynamic calculation revealed that the adsorption of the nanocomposite under experimental conditions was a spontaneous heat absorption process, and was primarily driven by chemisorption. After four cycles of use, the nanocomposite retained 87.2% of its initial adsorption capacity, confirming its high reusability and broad application prospects in removing tetracycline-type pollutants from wastewater.

Uranium recovery from weakly acidic wastewater using recyclable γ-Fe2O3@meso-SiO2

U(VI)-containing acidic wastewater produced from uranium mining sites is an environmental hazard. Highly efficient capture of U(VI) from such wastewater is of great significance. In this study, a mesoporous core-shell material (i.e. γ-Fe2O3@meso-SiO2) with magnetically and vertically oriented channels was rationally designed through a surfactant-templating method. Batch experiment results showed that the material had an efficiency level of >99.7% in removing U(VI) and a saturated adsorption capacity of approximately 41.40 mg/g, with its adsorption reaching equilibrium in 15 min. The U(VI) adsorption efficiency of the material remained above 90% in a solution with competing ions and in acidic radioactive wastewater, indicating its ability to selectively adsorb U(VI). The material exhibited high adsorption efficiency and desorption efficiency in five cycles of desorption and regeneration experiments. According to the results, the mechanism through which γ-Fe2O3@meso-SiO2 adsorbs U(VI) was dominated by chemical complexation and electrostatic attraction between these two substances. Therefore, γ-Fe2O3@meso-SiO2 is not only beneficial to control the environmental migration of uranium, but also has good selective adsorption and repeated regeneration performance when used to recover U(VI) from weakly acidic wastewater in uranium mining.

Metallo-β-lactamases immobilized by magnetic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 for degradation of β-lactam antibiotics in an aqueous environment

Residual antibiotics in nature are an important cause of antimicrobial drug resistance, and how to deal with residual β-lactam antibiotics in aqueous environments has become an urgent issue. In this work, magnetic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) for immobilizing metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), or Fe3O4@ZIF-8@MBLs, were successfully synthesized using the one-pot method in aqueous solution. The morphology and chemical structure of Fe3O4@ZIF-8@MBLs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectra, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectra, physical adsorption, and zeta potential. Further, the degradation performance of Fe3O4@ZIF-8@MBLs for β-lactam antibiotics (penicillin G, cefoperazone, meropenem) in an aqueous environment was investigated by UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry. The results indicated that Fe3O4@ZIF-8@MBLs, compared to control ZIF-8, exhibited superior degradation ability, excellent reusability, and better stability under several harsh conditions. The strategy of combining ZIF-8 and MBLs to form magnetic porous polymers may be suitable for removing β-lactam antibiotics from an aqueous environment. This work provided an original insight into future studies on the degradation of β-lactam antibiotics employing MBLs immobilized by magnetic metal-organic frameworks.

Chitosan-Based metal-organic framework for Stabilization of β-glucosidase: Reusability and storage stability

Enzyme immobilization is a powerful tool for protecting enzymes from harsh reaction conditions and improving enzyme activity, stability, and reusability. In this study, metal organic frameworks (MIL-Fe composites) were synthesized via solvothermal reactions and then modified with chitosan (CS). β-Glucosidase was immobilized on the chitosan-metal organic framework (CS-MIL-Fe), and the resulting composites were characterized with various analytical techniques. The β-glucosidase immobilized on a CS-MIL-Fe composite had an immobilization yield of 85 % and a recovered activity of 74 %. The immobilized enzyme retained 81 % of its initial activity after ten successive cycles and preserved 69 % of its original activity after 30 days of storage at 4 °C. In contrast, the free enzyme had only preserved 32 % of its original activity after 30 days. Under various temperature and pH conditions, the immobilized enzyme showed greater stability than the free enzyme, and the optimal temperature and pH were 60 °C and 6.0 for the immobilized enzyme and 50 °C and 5.0 for the free enzyme. The kinetic parameters were also determined, with the Km values of 13.4 and 6.98 mM for the immobilized and free β-glucosidase, respectively, and Vmax values of 3.96 and 1.72 U/mL, respectively. Overall, these results demonstrate that the CS-MIL-Fe@β-glucosidase is a promising matrix showing high catalytic efficiency and enhanced stability.

Explosives removal and quantification using porous adsorbents based on poly(2-oxazoline)s with various degree of functionalization

Polymeric porous adsorbents are reported for removal of explosives, namely picric acid, 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and their subsequent quantification using direct analysis with ambient plasma mass spectrometry. The adsorbents are obtained by functionalization of short-chain poly(2-oxazoline)s with methyl ester side chains using 4-(aminomethyl)pyridine with a degree of functionalization equal to 0, 5, 10, and 20%. The subsequent step consist of cross-linking using a high internal phase emulsion procedure by further side-chain amidation with diethylenetriamine as crosslinker. Picric acid, RDX, and PETN were chosen as the model compounds as they belong to three different groups of explosives, in particular nitroaromatics, nitroamines, and nitrate esters, respectively. The adsorption isotherms, kinetics, as well as the influence of pH and temperature on the adsorption process was investigated. The porous adsorbents showed the highest maximum adsorption capacity towards picric acid, reaching 334 mg g-1, while PETN (80 mg g-1) and RDX (17.4 mg g-1) were less efficiently adsorbed. Subsequent quantification of the adsorbed explosives is performed by a specially designed ambient mass spectrometry setup equipped with a thermal heater. The obtained limits of detection were found to be 20-times improved compared to direct analysis of analyte solutions. The effectiveness of the proposed analytical setup is confirmed by successful quantification of the explosives in river water samples. The research clearly shows that functional porous adsorbents coupled directly with ambient mass spectrometry can be used for rapid quantification of explosives, which can be, e.g., used for tracking illegal manufacturing sites of these compounds.

Fabricating Materials of Institute Lavoisier-53(Fe)/zeolite imidazolate framework-8 hybrid materials as high-efficiency and reproducible adsorbents for removing organic pollutants

Environmental pollution by emerging contaminants has become an urgent problem. Herein, novel binary metal-organic framework hybrids were constructed from Materials of Institute Lavoisier-53(Fe) (MIL-53(Fe)) and zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for the first time. A battery of characterizations were employed to determine the MIL/ZIF hybrids' properties and morphology. Furthermore, the MIL/ZIF towards toxic antibiotics (tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin) were studied to explore their adsorption abilities. The present work disclosed that the obtained MIL-53(Fe)/ZIF-8 = 2:3 possessed an eminent specific surface area with an admirable removal efficiency of tetracycline (97.4%), ciprofloxacin (97.1%) and ofloxacin (92.4%), respectively. The tetracycline adsorption process conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and this process was more compatible with the Langmuir isotherm model with the highest adsorption capacity of 215.0 mg g^-1. Moreover, the process of removing tetracycline was proved to be spontaneous and exothermic by the thermodynamic results. Furthermore, the MIL-53(Fe)/ZIF-8 = 2:3 towards tetracycline exhibited significant regeneration ability. The effects of pH, dosage, interfering ions and oscillation frequency on tetracycline adsorption capacity and removal efficiency were also investigated. The primary factors contributing to the decent adsorption ability between MIL-53(Fe)/ZIF-8 = 2:3 and tetracycline included electrostatic, π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding and weak coordination interactions. Additionally, we also investigated the adsorption ability in real wastewater. Thus, the proposed binary metal-organic framework hybrid materials can be deemed a promising adsorbent in wastewater purification.

MOF-derived LDH modified flame-retardant polyurethane sponge for high-performance oil-water separation: Interface engineering design based on bioinspiration

Frequent petrochemical spill accidents and secondary fire hazards have threatened the ecological environment and environmental safety. The traditional purification technology has the problems of high energy consumption and secondary pollution, which also brings new challenges to spill disposal. Herein, we demonstrate a biomimetic structure-based flame-retardant polyurethane (PU) sponge (FPUF@MOF-LDH@HDTMS) for continuous oil-water separation. Inspired by desert beetle and lotus leaf, the biomimetic micro-nano composite structure was constructed by in-situ growth of metal-organic framework-derived layered double hydroxide (MOF-LDH) on the surface of the PU sponge. After grafting MOF-LDH with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, FPUF@MOF-LDH@HDTMS showed excellent superhydrophobic/superoleophilic performance (water contact angle=153° and oil contact angle=0°). FPUF@MOF-LDH@HDTMS can easily and quickly adsorb oily liquids suspended/settled in the water thanks to the unique bionic structure. FPUF@MOF-LDH@HDTMS has excellent oil/organic solvents absorption capacity; even after 20 cycles of use still maintains high adsorption capacity. More importantly, the continuous oil-water separation through FPUF@MOF-LDH@HTMS has achieved a separation efficiency of up to 99.1%. In addition, the bionic superhydrophobic sponge has excellent flame retardancy, which reduces the possibility of secondary fire caused by PU sponges. Thus, the biomimetic micro-nano composite structure provides a new design strategy for the more high-performance oil-water separation sponges.