A novel composite (ZIF-8@PEI-CC) with enhanced adsorption capacity and kinetics of methyl orange

Metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) have shown efficient adsorption performance in organic dye removal. However, its relatively poor capacity and slow adsorption kinetics often limit its further application. Herein, polyethyleneimine (PEI) was cross-linked and encapsulated in ZIF-8 to prepare novel composite ([email protected]) by using cyanuric chloride (CC). It was found that the composite exhibited excellent adsorption performance for methyl orange (MO). Compared with ZIF-8 (183 ​mg ​g−1), the adsorption capacity (710 ​mg ​g−1) was significantly enhanced, and it was easier to separate than ZIF-8. Moreover, it shows a faster adsorption rate than ZIF-8. The adsorption kinetics of the [email protected] is more consistent with the pseudo-secondary kinetic model. Isotherm of the [email protected] is more in line with the Langmuir model. In addition, the [email protected] shows high adsorption capacity in a wide pH range (4-11). Therefore, the synthesized composite [email protected] has great potential as an effective adsorbent for removing MO.