Hydroxylation of UiO-66 Metal–Organic Frameworks for High Arsenic(III) Removal Efficiency

Making an arsenic remover even more effective

31 January 2023

Treatment with the alkali sodium hydroxide boosts the ability of a zirconium-containing clusters to stripe toxic arsenic from wastewater.

Heavy metals are highly toxic and cannot be degraded. This had led governments around the world to require them to be removed from wastewater.

Organic complexes containing metal ions are an attractive way to remove arsenic. In particular, one containing the metal zirconium (UiO-66) has shown promise.

Now, a team led by researchers from Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC) in Thailand has shown that hydroxylating UiO-66 enhances its ability to remove arsenic (III) ions by providing additional binding sites.

Furthermore, the capacity of UiO-66 to adsorb arsenic ions extends over a wide range of pHs from highly acidic (pH 1) to alkaline (pH 10).

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References

1. Inorganic Chemistry 61, 11342–11348 (2022). doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c01513