Adsorptive removal of methyl orange from aqueous solution with metal-organic frameworks, porous chromium-benzenedicarboxylates

Two typical highly porous metal-organic framework (MOF) materials based on chromium-benzenedicarboxylates (Cr-BDC) obtained from Material of Institute Lavoisier with special structure of MIL-101 and MIL-53 have been used for the adsorptive removal of methyl orange (MO), a harmful anionic dye, from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity and adsorption kinetic constant of MIL-101 are greater than those of MIL-53, showing the importance of porosity and pore size for the adsorption. The performance of MIL-101 improves with modification: the adsorption capacity and kinetic constant are in the order of MIL-101 < ethylenediamine-grafted MIL-101 < protonated ethylenediamine-grafted MIL-101 (even though the porosity and pore size are slightly decreased with grafting and further protonation). The adsorption capacity of protonated ethylenediamine-grafted MIL-101 decreases with increasing the pH of an aqueous MO solution. These results suggest that the adsorption of MO on the MOF is at least partly due to the electrostatic interaction between anionic MO and a cationic adsorbent. Adsorption of MO at various temperatures shows that the adsorption is a spontaneous and endothermic process and that the entropy increases (the driving force of the adsorption) with MO adsorption. The adsorbent MIL-101s are re-usable after sonification in water. Based on this study, MOFs can be suggested as potential re-usable adsorbents to remove anionic dyes because of their high porosity, facile modification and ready re-activation.