Cu(BTC)-(TMIB)-PAN membrane as an innovative method for pathogen disinfection and pharmaceutical degradation: Study of viability in flow systems

• Synthesis of Cu(BTC)-(TMIB) exhibiting high catalytic activity for PMS activation • Cu(BTC)-(TMIB) system showed effective disinfection and pharmaceutical degradation • Cu(BTC)-(TMIB) nanofiber membrane has potential for sustainable large-scale uses • Ecotoxicity study revealed a significant reduction in toxicity of treated water. Nowadays, water quality is increasingly at risk due to human activities, climate change and the emergence of new pollutants, including pharmaceuticals and pathogens. Advanced oxidation processes, particularly those involving peroxymonosulphate (PMS) activation by heterogeneous catalyst have garnered significant attention from the scientific community. In this context, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated considerable potential as catalysts for PMS activation. In this research, a copper-based MOF, Cu(BTC)-(TMIB), was successfully synthesized using 1,3,5-Tris(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methylbenzene (TMIB) and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) as ligands. Novel use of Cu(BTC)-(TMIB) as a PMS catalyst shows strong activity and efficient sulphate radical generation. To enhance stability and operational control in continuous water treatment processes, Cu(BTC)-(TMIB) was immobilized onto polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibre membranes via electrospinning. Membrane performance was validated in both batch and continuous flow systems. In batch experiments, the 3%Cu(BTC)-(TMIB)-9%PAN membrane achieved the required pathogen inactivation in 15 minutes, complete destruction of clozapine in less than 1 hour and complete antipyrine removal in less than 24 hours. Under continuous flow conditions, the system operated stably for 216 hours, performing 36 cycles with a constant and high-efficient pathogen and contaminant removal.