Removal of pharmaceutical pollutants from effluent by a plant-based metal–organic framework
Erik Svensson Grape, Antonio J. Chacón-García, Sara Rojas, Yolanda Pérez, Aleksander Jaworski, Mathias Nero, Michelle Åhlén, Eva Martínez‐Ahumada, Athina E. Galetsa Feindt, Mathieu Pepillo, Mayumi Narongin-Fujikawa, Ilich A. Ibarra, Ocean Cheung, Christian Baresel, Tom Willhammar, Patricia Horcajada, A. Ken Inge
Abstract
Abstract Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs), such as pharmaceutical compounds, are of growing environmental concern, and there is a need to develop new materials and technologies for their efficient removal. Here we developed a highly porous and stable zirconium–ellagate framework, denoted SU-102, which was used to remove EOCs from water, including real municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent. SU-102 adsorbs cationic EOCs with particularly high efficiencies, and of the 17 pharmaceutical EOCs detected in wastewater treatment plant effluent, all 9 cationic species were removed with efficiencies of at least 79.0–99.6%, emphasizing the importance of framework charge on selectivity. As a second mechanism of EOC removal, SU-102 photodegraded the antibiotic sulphamethazine under visible light. SU-102 is synthesized from ellagic acid, an edible polyphenol building unit, highlighting the possibility of creating stable high-performance multi-functional materials from sustainably sourced plant-based components.