Comparative study of synthesis methods and pH-dependent adsorption of methylene blue dye on UiO-66 and NH2-UiO-66

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly promising adsorbents with notable properties such as elevated adsorption capacities and versatile surface design capabilities. This study introduces two distinct synthesis methods, one lasting 1 h and the other 24 h, for UiO-66 and NH2-UiO-66. While both methods yield structures with comparable crystallinity and morphology, the adsorption performance of the cationic methylene blue dye varies at different pH levels. Despite the 24 h synthesis time being optimal for maximum adsorption in both MOFs, the relative difference in NH2-UiO-66 adsorption percentage at different times suggests reduced dependency on synthesis time for this property. Notably, NH2-UiO-66 exhibits consistent and effective performance across three pH levels, warranting further investigation into its adsorption kinetics and isotherm. The achievement of high adsorption efficiency coupled with a significantly reduced synthesis time underscores the importance of developing simplified synthetic methods, essential for enhancing the practical applicability of MOFs in diverse applications.

Rapid and efficient removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions using extract-modified Zn-Al LDH

Environmental pollution, particularly water pollution caused by organic substances like synthetic dyes, is a pressing global concern. This study focuses on enhancing the adsorption capacity of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) to remove methylene blue (MB) dye from water. The synthesized materials are characterized using techniques like FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, EDS, BET, BJH, AFM, and UV-Vis DRS. Adsorption experiments show that Zn-Al LDH@ext exhibits a significant adsorption capacity for MB dye compared to pristine LDH. In addition, Zn-Al LDH@ext shows a significant increase in stability, which is attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds in the extract and the interactions between the functional groups of the extract and LDH. The pH and adsorbent dosage optimizations show that pH 7 and 0.7 g of Zn-Al LDH@ext are optimal conditions for efficient MB removal. The study assessed adsorption kinetics through the examination of Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms. Additionally, four kinetic models, namely pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich, were analyzed. The results indicated that the Temkin isotherm (R2 = 0.9927), and pseudo-second-order (R2 = 0.9999) kinetic provided the best fit to the experimental data. This study introduces a novel approach to enhance adsorption efficiency using modified LDHs, contributing to environmentally friendly and cost-effective water treatment methods.

Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye Using a Highly Efficient Mg-Al LDH@g-C3N4@Ag3PO4 Nanocomposite

The issue of water resource pollution resulting from the discharge of dyes is a matter of great concern for the environment. In this investigation, a new ternary heterogeneous Mg-Al LDH@g-C3N4X@Ag3PO4Y (X = wt % of g-C3N4 with respect to Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) and Y = wt % of Ag3PO4 loaded on Mg-Al LDH@g-C3N430) nanocomposite was prepared with the aim of increasing charge carrier separation and enhancement of photocatalytic performance to degrade methylene blue (MB) dye. The prepared samples were subjected to characterization via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and photoelectrochemical analysis. It was observed that in the presence of the composite of Mg-Al LDH and g-C3N4, the photocatalytic decomposition of MB under 150 W mercury lamp illumination increases significantly as opposed to Mg-Al LDH alone, and the Mg-Al LDH@g-C3N4 level with Ag3PO4 coating causes the complete degradation of MB to occur in less time. The outcomes show that the Mg-Al LDH@g-C3N430@Ag3PO45 nanocomposite demonstrated the highest photodegradation activity (99%). Scavenger tests showed that the two most effective agents in the photodegradation of MB are holes and hydroxyl radicals, respectively. Finally, a type II heterojunction photocatalytic degradation mechanism for MB by Mg-Al LDH@g-C3N430@Ag3PO45 was proposed.

ZnAl nano layered double hydroxides for dual functional CRISPR/Cas9 delivery and enhanced green fluorescence protein biosensor

Evaluation of the effect of different parameters for designing a non-viral vector in gene delivery systems has great importance. In this manner, 2D crystals, precisely layered double hydroxides, have attracted the attention of scientists due to their significant adjustability and low-toxicity and low-cost preparation procedure. In this work, the relationship between different physicochemical properties of LDH, including pH, size, zeta potential, and synthesis procedure, was investigated and optimized for CRISPR/Cas9 delivery and reverse fluorescence response to the EGFP. In this manner, ZnAl LDH and ZnAl HMTA LDH were synthesized and characterized and applied in the HEK-293 cell line to deliver CRISPR/Cas9. The results were optimized by different characterizations as well as Gel Electrophoresis and showed acceptable binding ability with the DNA that could be considered as a promising and also new gold-standard for the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9. Also, the relationship of the presence of tertiary amines (in this case, hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) as the templates) in the structure of the ZnAl LDH, as well as the gene delivery application, was evaluated. The results showed more than 79% of relative cell viability in most of the weight ratios of LDH to CRISPR/Cas9; fully quenching the fluorescence intensity of the EGFP/LDH in the presence of 15 µg mL-1 of the protoporphyrins along with the detection limit of below 2.1 µg mL-1, the transfection efficiency of around 33% of the GFP positive cell for ZnAl LDH and more than 38% for the ZnAl LDH in the presence of its tertiary amine template.

Preparation of amine functionalized g-C3N4@H/SMOF NCs with visible light photocatalytic characteristic for 4-nitrophenol degradation from aqueous solution

At ambience temperature, a facile and large-scale sonochemical synthesis route was used to synthesize graphitic carbon nitride@[Ti₄C₂₄H₃₉N₃O₂₉] metal-organic framework nanocomposites (g-C₃N₄-X@^YTi-MIL125-NH₂ NCs, where X and Y stood for the weight percentages of g - C₃N₄ and the synthesis method of Ti-MIL125-NH₂, respectively) having 2-Amino-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (2-ATA) ligand with amine functional free groups. The obtained NCs were characterized by FT-IR, PXRD, FE-SEM, BET, UV-DRS, PL, EIS, and zeta potential. Moreover, g-C₃N₄-X@^YTi-MIL125-NH₂ capability to eliminate 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) contaminant from water via visible light illumination was explored. Our synthesized NCs under a facile, green ultrasonic technique (i.e. g-C₃N₄-30@^STi-MIL125-NH₂) had a higher percentage of degradation than those from hydrothermal technique (i.e. g-C₃N₄-30@^HTi-MIL125-NH₂) with degradation percentages of 75% and 57%, respectively, which resulted in effective mass transfer and separation of photo - generated charge carriers. Additionally, this higher percentage of degradation could be attributed to the larger surface area and unique morphology of the ultrasonically synthesized particles with higher homogeneity and better and non-agglomerated distribution. Furthermore, excellent reusability and stability were observed for g-C₃N₄-30@^STi-MIL125-NH₂. We also explored the role of some scavengers in the degradation procedures to investigate the effect of active species. The experimental results were used to describe the suggested mechanism capability for improved photocatalysis.

Ultrasound-assisted preparation of a nanostructured zinc(II) amine pillar metal-organic framework as a potential sorbent for 2,4-dichlorophenol adsorption from aqueous solution

Using a green and simple route with ultrasound illumination under atmospheric pressure and at room temperature, the nanosized preparation of a Zn(II) metal-organic framework, [Zn(ATA)(BPD)]_∞ (ATA = 2-aminoterephthalic acid), BPD = 1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)-2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene), having nano-plate shape and 3D channel framework, was considered and the product was named as compound 1. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used for characterization of the synthesized micro/nano-structures. Further, impact of different sonication times and initial reagent contents on the shape and size of the micro/nano-structures was investigated. The results show that under ultrasound irradiation non-aggregated plates with uniform morphology can be obtained with content of [0.0125] M of the initial reagents in the presence of triethylamine (TEA) at 120 min. Moreover, through N₂ adsorption, effect of the preparation route on the porosity was explored. The bulk and nano-plates of compound 1 were also studied for adsorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol as a pollutant sample. Kinetic studies indicated that 2,4-dichlorophenol adsorption via MOF nano-plates are of first-order kinetics. Also, MOF nano-plates have significantly been reutilized for five times while their adsorption properties have remained unchanged.