2D MOF Coated Carbon Nanofiber Composite Membrane for Efficient Removal of Microplastics

Microplastic pollution significantly threatens aquatic ecosystems and human health, underscoring the need for innovative solutions in removal strategies. Membrane filtration, a widely employed wastewater treatment method, stands out for its accessibility, high rejection capacity, and cost-effectiveness. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising materials in enhancing membrane filtration efficiency, offering abundant functional groups, tunable pore sizes, superior surface area, and a favourable affinity for polymers, along with high adsorption capacity. However, current attempts with MOF-containing polymeric electrospun membranes show potential in microplastic treatment, practical application faces challenges such as poor mechanical strength, inadequate chemical stability, low durability, and non-regenerability. Our study introduces a novel composite membrane that overcomes these challenges for microplastic removal applications. The fabrication process integrates thin sheets of MOF onto a carbon nanofiber matrix formed through an electrospinning technique utilizing the sustainable biopolymer lignin. Verification of MOF integration with the carbon nanofiber matrix undergoes a comprehensive set of analyses, including FT-IR, XRD, BET, SEM, XPS, and TEM. The filtration performance of the resulting composite membrane is evaluated using various techniques employing DLS, UV-VIS, SEM, XPS, and TGA. It exhibits exceptional microplastic removal efficiency, outperforming traditional filtration materials. The composite membrane proves effective, demonstrating long-term stability, re-generatability, and durability, effectively addressing the limitations of current MOF- containing polymeric electrospun membranes. These findings significantly contribute to advancing environmentally friendly and efficient solutions for microplastic removal, directly impacting sustainable water treatment technologies.