A facile fabrication of MOF for selective removal of chromium (III) from aqueous solution

Abstract

A simple method for fabricating a metal organic framework (MOF: HKUST-1) as sorbent for selective removal of chromium (III) from aqueous solution is discussed. The structure and morphology of HKUST-1 was identified by fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N₂ adsorption-desorption (BET) analysis. Its removal process of chromium (III) and chromium (VI) on HKUST-1 was assessed systematically under various conditions such as pH value, shaking time and initial concentration of chromium (III). At pH 6.0–8.0, HKUST-1 were selective towards chromium (III) but hardly chromium (VI). Kinetic parameters fitted well with pseudo-second-order model and adsorption progress was described by Langmuir isotherm equations and spontaneous and endothermic according to the results of thermodynamics studies (▵G < 0, ▵H > 0, ▵S > 0).

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• HKUST-1
• chromium (III)
• flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This project was financially supported by Education Committee of Hubei Province (D20132501).