Adsorptive removal of wide range of pharmaceutical and personal care products from water by using metal azolate framework-6-derived porous carbon

Purification of water contaminated with organics, including pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), via adsorption, was carried out by using porous carbons obtained from the pyrolysis of metal azolate framework-6 (MAF-6, a subclass of metal-organic frameworks), especially in the presence of a KOH activator. The carbons showed high adsorption capacity for a wide range of PPCPs (the acidic ibuprofen; weakly acidic triclosan and oxybenzone; and basic diclofenac sodium and atenolol). The carbon prepared at 1000 °C showed record-high adsorption capacities for ibuprofen and diclofenac. A plausible adsorption mechanism for ibuprofen could also be suggested by adsorption under a wide range of pH conditions. Moreover, the used carbon could be recycled easily by solvent washing. Therefore, MAF-6-derived carbon (especially in the presence of a KOH activator) could be suggested as a potential adsorbent to purify water contaminated with organics such as PPCPs.