Facile fabrication of bifunctional ZIF-L/cellulose composite membrane for efficient removal of tellurium and antibacterial effects.

Fabrication of simple and efficient adsorbents is greatly vital to satisfy the requirements of removal of tellurium in wastewater treatment, yet remains challenging. Here, a facile and cost-effective strategy to develop ZIF-L coated self-crosslinking cellulose membrane (ZIF-L/SC membrane) for tellurium adsorption was presented. In-situ vertical growth of ZIF-L nanoplates with functional properties on membrane substrate is an available strategy, effectively remedying deficiency of pure nanosized sorbent in agglomeration problem and unhandy recovery. The SC membrane formed by strong hydrogen bonding among cellulose fibers is an excellent substrate, due to the favorable mechanical strength and abundant hydroxyl groups. The as-prepared ZIF-L/SC membrane shows advantageous morphology of large contact surface, fine thermal stability and eligible mechanical strength. The adsorption performance and possible mechanism of ZIF-L/SC membrane for Te (IV) were investigated by diverse characterization methods, showing admirable adsorption effect. Furthermore, the ZIF-L/SC membrane has excellent antibacterial properties, thus it is expected to deal with membrane fouling caused by microorganism breeding. Therefore, the bifunctional ZIF-L/SC membrane with excellent antibacterial activity is anticipated to be a promising candidate for efficient tellurium adsorbents, and simultaneously have potential in various fields in the future.