3D-Printed MOFs/Polymer Composite as a Separatable Adsorbent for the Removal of Phenylarsenic Acid in the Aqueous Solution

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as advanced nanoporous materials to remove phenylarsenic acid, p -arsanilic acid ( p -ASA), and roxarsone (ROX) in the aqueous solution, while MOFs are often present as powder state and encounter difficulties in recovery after adsorption, which greatly limit their practical application in the aqueous environments. Herein, MIL-101 (Fe), a typical MOF, was mixed with sodium alginate and gelatin to prepare MIL-101@CAGE by three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, which was then used as a separatable adsorbent to remove phenylarsenic acid in the aqueous solution. The structure of 3D-printed MIL-101@CAGE was first characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry (TG-DTG). The octahedral morphology of MIL-101 (Fe) was found unchanged during the 3D printing process. Then, the adsorption process of MIL-101@CAGE on phenylarsenic acids was systematically investigated by adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, adsorption thermodynamics, condition experiments, and cyclic regeneration experiments. Finally, the adsorption mechanism between MIL-101@CAGE and phenylarsenic acid was further investigated. The results showed that the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms were well fit, and according to the Langmuir fitting results, the maximum adsorption amounts of MIL-101@CAGE on p -ASA and ROX at 25 °C were 106.98 and 120.28 mg/g, respectively. The removal of p -ASA and ROX by MIL-101@CAGE remained stable over a wide pH range and in the presence of various coexisting ions. The regeneration experiments showed that the 3D-printed MIL-101@CAGE could still maintain a more than 90% removal rate after five cycles. The adsorption mechanism of this system might include π–π stacking interactions between the benzene ring on the phenylarsenic acids and the organic ligands in MIL-101@CAGE, hydrogen-bonding, and ligand-bonding interactions (Fe–O–As). This study provides a new idea for the scale preparation of a separatable and recyclable adsorbent based on MOF material for the efficient removal of phenylarsenic acid in the aqueous solution.