In-situ synthesis of CNT/UiO-66-NH2-based molecularly imprinted nanocomposite membranes for selective recognition and separation of sulfamethoxazole: A synergistic promotion system

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a widespread organic contaminant that threatens the ecological environment and human health. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop an effective method for selective separation of SMX from the aquatic environments. Herein, a novel in-situ synthesis of CNT/UiO-66-NH2 based molecularly imprinted nanocomposite membranes (CUMIMs) is designed for selective removal of SMX. The CNT/UiO-66-NH2 nanocomposite is prepared through in-situ growth of MOFs in the presence of CNT. The CNT around the MOFs can effectively avoid the aggregation of CNT/UiO-66-NH2 nanocomposite and introduce unique properties into the PVDF/PVA membrane, which simultaneously benefit in both hydrophilicity and water flux. More importantly, the well dispersed CNT/UiO-66-NH2 nanocomposite with huge specific in the membrane can facilitate the selectivity toward SMX. The selective separation performance of CUMIMs is evaluated by static adsorption and permeselectivity experiments. The results showed that the synthesized CUMIMs afford an ideal rebinding selectivity (αSMX/SMM = 2.01, αSMX/TC = 4.34, and αSMX/CIP = 4.65) and permselectivity factor (β = 2.15) toward SMX. The presented strategy on CUMIMs fabrication would potentially enrich the application of CNT/MOFs-based molecularly imprinted nanocomposite membrane in the field of contaminant separation.