Controlling the Structural Robustness of Zirconium-Based Metal Organic Frameworks for Efficient Adsorption on Tetracycline Antibiotics

Tetracyclines (TCs) are the most widely used antibiotics for prevention and treatment of livestock diseases, but they toxic to humans have frequently been detected in water bodies. In this study, physical chemical properties zirconium-based metal organic framework (MOF) UiO-66 its NH2-functionalized congener UiO-66-NH2 were investigated along with batch TC adsorption tests determine effect functionalization on removal. removal was highest at pH 3 decreased increasing pH. Pseudo-1st pseudo-2nd-order kinetic models study equilibrium times, Langmuir isotherm model found be more suitable than Freundlich model. The maximum uptake UIO-66-NH2 measured 93.6 76.5 mg/g, respectively. Unexpectedly, capacity observed lower that UiO-66. Density functional theory calculations revealed pore structures irrelevant adsorption, –NH2 group could weaken structural robustness UiO-66-NH2, causing a reduction capacity. Accordingly, robust MOFs clusters can effectively applied such as water.