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From pollution to solution: Optimized UiO-66 based metal-organic framework for environmental cleanup
Summary
Researchers converted recycled plastic bottles (PET) into a high-surface-area material called UiO-66, a metal-organic framework, and embedded it in filtration membranes that removed over 100% of microplastic particles from water. This sustainable approach turns plastic waste into a tool for cleaning up plastic pollution.
Metal-organic framework (MOF) is known as an advanced material with high surface area and porosity and emerging for environmental remediation. In this study, a sustainable zirconium-based MOF, known as UiO-66 was synthesized using zirconium oxynitrate as a chloride-less metal precursor and organic linker from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). Synthesis parameters were optimized via Response Surface Methodology (RSM), and achieved the maximum BET surface area of 755 m 2 /g. To evaluate for microplastic removal, the UiO-66 were incorporated into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based mixed-matrix membranes (MMM). The properties and characterizations including X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Raman Spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analysis, confirmed the structure and composition of the materials. Filtration test demonstrated up to 105 ± 0.57 % removal efficiency against polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), act as microplastic suspension. This work presents a sustainable approach to convert plastic waste into functional MOF and offer a green and effective strategy for environmental cleanup applications. • UiO-66 synthesized using chloride-less zirconium metal precursor and recycled PET (rPET). • UiO-66 optimization via Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with optimized BET surface area to 755 m 2 /g. • Filtration by UiO-66-based mixed-matrix membrane achieved > 100 % microplastic removal. • The conversion of plastic waste into functional MOF is sustainable for environmental cleanup.