Amyloid Fibril Templated MOF Aerogels for Water Purification. Issue 4 (23rd November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jia, Xiangze; Peydayesh, Mohammad; Huang, Qiang; Mezzenga, Raffaele
• Is Part Of: Small. Volume 18:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-11-23
• Subjects: aerogels -- amyloid fibrils -- heavy metals -- organics -- water -- ZIF‐8; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanoparticles -- Periodicals; Microtechnology -- Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202105502
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1613-6810

Abstract

Abstract: Design and fabrication of versatile adsorbents for universal water purification following green chemistry principles remain challenging. Here, it is shown that amyloid fibrils from protein waste can be used as a functional scaffold for metal organic framework (MOF) biomimetic mineralization. The resulting amyloid fibrils/ZIF‐8 hybrid aerogels can effectively remove nine different heavy metal ions from water due to their hierarchical porous structure. Importantly, amyloid fibrils/ZIF‐8 hybrid aerogels can efficiently remove Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ from water over five consecutive adsorption–regeneration cycles. Furthermore, a dual removal pathway of adsorption and catalytic degradation is observed in the synthetic dyes, indicating that the aerogel preserves its porous nature and maintains the integrity of versatile functional ligands within ZIF‐8. Finally, it is shown that these hybrid aerogels can also perform successfully in oil–water separation. Considering the facile synthesis procedure, high removal efficiency, affordable cost, and regeneration possibilities, the amyloid fibrils/ZIF‐8 hybrid aerogel stands as an ideal candidate for addressing open challenges in wastewater treatment and water purification. Abstract : An ultralight amyloid fibrils/MOF hybrid aerogel for universal water purification is developed through a facile in situ ZIF‐8 biomimetic mineralization procedure. The hybrid aerogel features outstanding removal efficiencies for heavy metals, synthetic dyes, and oily contaminants, over several consecutive cycles of adsorption and regeneration.