Green electrospun Fe-based MOFs incorporated polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl chitosan nanofibrous membranes for enhanced adsorption of tetracycline hydrochloride

Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) removal from wastewater has drawn much attention recently, although it still remains challenging. Herein, Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) incorporated nanofibrous membranes were prepared by green electrospinning and applied as adsorbents to remove TCH. The presence of MOFs noticeably improved specific surface area of the nanofibrous membranes, and adsorption capability increased with the amount of MOFs within membranes. As the temperature increased, the amount of TCH that was adsorbed continuously reduced, and the maximum adsorption capacity (248.5 mg/g) was attained at 273 K. The adsorption behavior of the nanofibrous membranes followed Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. A series of interactions between the membrane and TCH, such as pore filling, coordination bonding, π-π interaction, hydrogen bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction, combined to enhance the adsorption performance. Good stability and adsorption capability were demonstrated by the nanofibrous membranes, suggesting that they could be used for effective and affordable water purification.