Efficient capture of ornidazole through cobalt/zinc-containing naonoporous carbons derived from cobalt/zinc-based MOF-74

Ornidazole (ONZ) capture from water is one of thorny difficulties for water purification. To solve this issue, a series of novel interconnected nano-porous carbons (NPCs) with high adsorption activities toward ONZ has been firstly developed via direct carbonization of Zn-(MOF-74), Co-(MOF-74), and Zn/Co-(MOF-74) self-sacrifice templates. Textural properties of as-prepared NPCs were proven and compared by XRD, SEM, XPS, and N2 adsorption, etc. The extraordinary 3D porous structure thus fabricated significantly enhanced ONZs capture ability. Inspiring, we observed that Zn/Co-NPC exhibited extraordinarily high ONZs capture capacity as a result of synergistic effects of electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, coordination, and π-π conjugation, displaying a maximum ONZs uptakes capacity of 320 ​mg/g. Moreover, the ONZs capture ability over our prepared NPCs only underwent a slight change after the fifth reuse. Overall, this novel NPC exhibits a promising practical application for ONZs capture from aqueous solutions.