Facile synthesis of UiO-66/PAN adsorptive membrane for effective arsenic removal

Decreasing arsenic to below the discharge standard from potable water and wastewater with less energy consumption is crucial in water purification. Herein, a series of high-throughput adsorptive membranes have been successfully fabricated by blending polyacrylonitrile (PAN) copolymer with UiO-66 based on a facile non-solvent-induced phase separation process. Notably, UiO-66 contents within the resultant UiO-66/PAN adsorptive membranes can be flexibly modulated on demand, leading to variations of the structural features associated with pure water permeability, pore size, and hydrophilicity along with mechanical flexibility. Representatively, a sheet of M − 50 with a UiO-66/PAN mass ratio of 50% can effectively reduce trace arsenate (100 ppb) to below the permitted level (10 ppb) at the flux up to 1.0 × 103 L m−2 h−1. Moreover, M − 50 shows negligible leakage of UiO-66 nanoparticles during rinsed with acidic and alkaline solutions for 24 h. Furthermore, the spent M − 50 can be readily regenerated and maintain high removal efficiencies after multiple adsorption–regeneration cycles, rendering them promising sustainable materials. Hence, the designed UiO-66/PAN adsorptive membranes hold significant prospects for in-depth purification of arsenic-contaminated water.