Functionalized-MXene-based imprinted MOFs composite membranes for the selective separation of ribavirin

Abstract

The evident decrease for membrane-treated performance in response to multi-component mixture greatly limited its application. Here, we prepared blended nanomolecularly imprinted composite fiber membranes (CXPM-MIMs) with in situ growth of imprinted MOFs on carboxyl functionalized MXene. Through the carboxylate-assisted coordination pathway, a chelation site is provided by the carboxylate-modified MXene to coordinate with NH2-UiO-66, creating a tightly linked NH2-UiO-66/carboxylate-functionalized MXene heterostructure. The key role of the modified carboxyl group can be identified so that it can help to create a strong coordination bond between the two materials. Conventional MOFs typically lack selectivity and specificity. Here, we present a molecularly imprinted nanocomposite MOFs membrane material that exhibits selective adsorption and molecular separation capabilities. Imprinted UiO-66 (Ce) based on diamino-terephthalic acid was synthesized with water as the only solvent without adding any regulator or additive. By adding ribavirin molecules to multicomponent MOFs using a molecular imprinting technique and carrying out adsorption tests (isothermal and kinetic) as well as selectivity testing, we were able to demonstrate this adsorption-separation mechanism. The valuable testing outcomes shown that the as-prepared CXPM-MIMs performed excellently in terms of pemselectivity for ribavirin (RBV) (permselectivity factor β = 4.89, 10.14, 9.23) in addition to exhibiting perfect specific adsorption ability (58.3 mg g−1). The strong permselectivity and particular identification capacity of CXPM-MIMs demonstrated their tremendous potential in the treatment of RBV contamination.