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Redox-Active Metal–Organic Framework Nanocrystals for the Simultaneous Adsorption, Detection, and Detoxification of Heavy Metal Cations

Summary

This research demonstrates how specially designed metal-organic framework materials can effectively remove toxic heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium from water. The most effective material, cobalt-based HHTP, can capture these metals through both chemical reactions and physical binding, making it highly efficient. The researchers also successfully coated these materials onto fabrics, creating wearable water filters that can simultaneously purify water and detect contamination levels.

Background

Heavy metal contamination of water sources poses significant threats to global health and the environment. Conventional water treatment methods suffer from limitations including poor filtration capacity, high operational costs, and low sensitivity. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising materials for water remediation, but most lack intrinsic redox activity and multifunctional capabilities.

Objective

This study systematically investigates how metal nodes, redox-active sites, and stacking arrangements in redox-active MOFs constructed from hexahydroxytriphenylene (HHTP) ligands govern their ability to capture, reduce, and detect cadmium, mercury, and lead ions in water. The research aims to establish structure-function correlations in these materials.

Results

Co-HHTP exhibited the highest adsorption capacities of 169, 733, and 554 mg/g for Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Pb²⁺ respectively, attributed to its trigonal stacking and intercalated water-capped metal sites. XPS confirmed partial reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(I) and Pb(II) to Pb(0) with concurrent oxidation of the HHTP ligand, while Cd(II) remained chemically unaltered. Co-HHTP deposited on textiles retained adsorption efficiency and enabled detection at low-ppm concentrations.

Conclusion

The study establishes a clear structure-function correlation showing how stacking configuration, metal accessibility, and redox-active ligands collectively govern multimechanistic heavy metal remediation. Co-HHTP@textile composites demonstrate practical applicability for simultaneous water purification and detection, offering superior performance compared to conventional adsorbents and many state-of-the-art MOF materials.
  • Published in:ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: PMID: 41427776, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c18562
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