Issue 31, 2024

Imine-based covalent organic framework gels for efficient removal of Fe2+ from contaminated water

Abstract

The presence of high concentrations of metal ions in water distribution systems and industrial plants gives rise to the appearance of deposits responsible for incrustation and corrosion events. In this context, the search for new approaches to remove these contaminants from water using more efficient techniques has gained substantial importance over the last decades. Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) have emerged as a new class of porous crystalline materials with distinctive properties based on the reticular chemistry principle, making them very promising for this purpose. Specifically, they are characterized by their permanent porosity, excellent water stability, and tailored design for specific applications on demand. In this study, we present two imine-based COFs, TAPB-PDA-COF and TAPB-DHTA-COF, obtained at room temperature, as a sustainable alternative for the removal of Fe2+ from water as a previous step to reverse osmosis in the water treatment process. The two imine-based COFs were directly obtained as gels and easily activated under argon flow to xerogels. The materials showed remarkable adsorption uptakes at neutral pH towards Fe2+ within 5 minutes of contact. Additionally, the COF xerogels exhibited maximum adsorption capacity values in the range of other porous reported materials. Finally, the gels were successfully processed into COF@Polysulfone composite beads, paving the way for the obtention of COFs into macroscopic products easily removable from any media, leaving no residues, and easily incorporated into the water treatment process. These COF composite beads are excellent candidates for large-scale preparation and easy commercialization.

Graphical abstract: Imine-based covalent organic framework gels for efficient removal of Fe2+ from contaminated water

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Feb 2024
Accepted
25 Jun 2024
First published
26 Jun 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024,12, 20121-20128

Imine-based covalent organic framework gels for efficient removal of Fe2+ from contaminated water

C. Arqueros, L. Welte, C. Montoro and F. Zamora, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, 12, 20121 DOI: 10.1039/D4TA00954A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements