Recent progress in Zr-MOFs for antibiotic adsorption and photocatalysis

Abstract

The escalating presence of pharmaceutical contaminants, particularly antibiotics, within aquatic environments has raised significant ecological threats, thereby emphasizing the necessity for valuable water purification methods. Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) have demonstrated considerable potential in confronting this issue. Owing to their large surface areas and adaptable porous structures, Zr-MOFs exhibit remarkable ability in the selective adsorption and degradation of antibiotics in aqueous systems. This review focuses various synthetic approaches for the preparation of Zr-MOFs and their application in water treatment, with an emphasis on the removal of antibiotics. It also highlights recent advancements in using Zr-MOFs for both adsorption and photocatalytic degradation, demonstrating how combining these approaches, along with developing modified Zr-MOFs and understanding the link between their structural features and antibiotic removal efficiency, can significantly enhance performance in water purification.