Fabrication of highly stable metal–organic frameworks and corresponding hydrophobic foam through a reticular chemistry strategy for simultaneous organic micropollutant and insoluble oil removal from wastewater

Abstract

Effective and simultaneous organic micropollutant and insoluble oil removal from wastewater by using smart materials and feasible strategies is still a huge challenge. Herein, we design a novel two-dimensional (2D) metal–organic framework (MOF) {[Zn₃(bcoba)₂(H₂O)₂]·4DMA·2H₂O}_n (kgd-Zn) (H₃bcoba = (3,5-bis((3′-carboxylbenzyl)oxy)benzoic acid)) with a kgd topology by using a reticular chemistry strategy for highly efficiently removing hazardous substances from wastewater. The excellent ciprofloxacin (CIP) adsorption of kgd-Zn may be attributed to the strong interaction forces between pollution molecules and the MOF. In addition, a macroporous melamine foam (MF) supported hybrid composite kgd-Zn@MF is prepared accordingly. The adsorption performance of CIP is significantly optimized due to the hierarchical microporous–macroporous kgd-Zn@MF system. Moreover, the synergetic hydrophobic/oleophilic properties endow the kgd-Zn@MF composite with an exceptional oil/water separation ability, including a high adsorption capacity (5077–13 786 wt%) towards various solvents and oils, easy collection and remarkable recyclability over 50 cycles. Meanwhile, the hybrid kgd-Zn@MF can simultaneously remove CIP molecules and soybean oil from simulated multi-component wastewater and the removal efficiencies reach above 99.0%, exhibiting a dual functional performance. This work presents a promising strategy of oriented design and topological construction of MOF materials and MOF-based composites acting as excellent candidates for purifying drinking water.