Simplified creation of polyester fabric supported Fe-based MOFs by an industrialized dyeing process: Conditions optimization, photocatalytics activity and polyvinyl alcohol removal

MIL-53(Fe) was successfully prepared and deposited on the surface carboxylated polyester (PET) fiber by an optimized conventional solvothermal or industrialized high temperature pressure exhaustion (HTPE) process to develop a PET fiber supported MIL-53(Fe) photocatalyst (MIL-Fe@PET) for the degradation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in water under light emitting diode (LED) visible irradiation. On the basis of several characterizations, MIL-Fe@PET was tested for the photocalytic ability and degradation mechanism. It was found that temperature elevation significantly enhanced the formation and deposition of MIL-53(Fe) with better photocatalytic activity. However, higher temperature than 130°C was not in favor of its photocatalytic activity. Increasing the number of surface carboxyl groups of the modified PET fiber could cause a liner improvement in MIL-53(Fe) loading content and photocatalytic ability. High visible irradiation intensity also dramatically increased photocatalytic ability and PVA degradation efficiency of MIL-Fe@PET. Na2S2O8 was used to replace H2O2 as electron acceptor for further promoting PVA degradation in this system. MIL-Fe@PET prepared by HTPE process showed higher MIL-53(Fe) loading content and slightly lower PVA degradation efficiency than that prepared by solvothermal process at the same conditions. These findings provided a practical strategy for the large-scale production of the supported MIL-53(Fe) as a photocatalyst in the future.