UiO-66 MOF/Zr-di-terephthalate/cellulose hybrid composite synthesized via sol-gel approach for the efficient removal of methylene blue dye

This research addresses the issue of organic dye pollution in water by developing eco-friendly, cost-effective adsorbents. Zr-di-terephthalate organic-inorganic hybrid materials, with and without cellulose, were synthesized using a one-pot sol-gel method with zirconium butoxide and terephthalic acid. The materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS, SEM, EDS, TEM, and BET analysis and showed a crystalline structure with some amorphous content, high surface area, and small pores, indicative of a composite form containing UiO-66 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Adsorption studies on methylene blue dye showed that both materials followed Langmuir isotherms, with maximum adsorption capacities of 147.54 mg/g for Zr-(TPA)2-U and 151.38 mg/g for Zr-(TPA)2- UC. The materials exhibited rapid adsorption within a short period of 30 min and adhered to pseudo-second order kinetics. The adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, driven by electrostatic interactions, it-it stacking, pore filling, van der Waals forces, and hydrogen bonding. The fact that the composite materials contain the UiO-66 structure contributed to their effective adsorption by increasing the crystalline properties of the material. The hybrids also showed excellent reusability, maintaining high efficiency over multiple cycles. These findings highlight the potential of Zr-di-terephthalate hybrids as sustainable, high-performance adsorbents for water purification, addressing dye contamination effectively.