Graphene oxide structure-oriented NM88B/GO/SA aerogel for highly efficient degradation of dye and antibiotic wastewater

Abstract

Abstract Photocatalytic water treatment is an advanced and efficient technology for water purification. Among various photocatalysts, iron-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) are widely applied for mineralizing organic wastewater due to their excellent water stability and photocatalytic activity. However, their practical application is impeded by insufficient photocatalytic performance, irreversible collapse of the framework structure during repeated use, and difficulty in recovery. In this study, Graphene oxide (GO) structure-oriented NH2-MIL-88B(Fe)/graphene oxide/sodium alginate (NM88B/GO/SA) aerogel was fabricated for the removal of dyes and antibiotics, using GO interface regulation and dual-network crosslinking methods. In this hybrid system, a NM88B/GO heterostructure was formed through the directional growth of NM88B on the surface of GO. The introduction of sodium alginate (SA) enhanced the robustness and stability of the matrix, and effectively avoided aerogel fragmentation. With 30 wt% catalyst loading, the composite aerogel exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation performance towards high-concentration (50ppm) tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl), achieving over 99% removal rate in 150 minutes. It also effectively degraded methylene blue (MB) at 10-30ppm with over 99% removal rate. Furthermore, the aerogel showed excellent shape recovery ability, stability, and reusability. After five repeated tests, it maintained over 95% degradation efficiency for both TC-HCl and MB. This advanced aerogel holds great promise as a highly efficient and reusable photocatalyst for removing antibiotics and dyes from wastewater.