Efficient and effective removal of toluene from aqueous solution using MIL-100(Fe)

Abstract

The MIL-100(Fe) was employed for the remediation of toluene-contaminated water. The MIL-100(Fe) samples synthesised for this work exhibit high thermal (300 °C) and chemical (pH range 2–10) stability. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms were fitted to the Elovich and Temkin models. The pH of the aqueous sample containing Toluene impacted the adsorption capacity of MIL-100(Fe) through modulation of the MOF ζ potential. As a result, we concluded that MIL-100(Fe) is most effective at adsorbing toluene in the 6–10 pH range, a finding that underscores its potential in water treatment. The maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of 318.48 mg g⁻¹ was determined. MIL-100(Fe) showed excellent adsorption–desorption performance and stability; hence, it can be used repeatedly without losing toluene adsorption capacity. FT-IR spectra suggest that π–π interactions serve a crucial role during toluene adsorption, further confirming the effectiveness of MIL-100 (Fe) in water treatment.