Construction of hexagonal spindle-shaped Fe-MOFs induced by cationic copolymer and its application for effective wastewater treatment.

The environment and human health are in danger due to the long-term enrichment and buildup of organic pesticides, dyes, and harmful microbes in wastewater. The development of functional materials that are efficient for treating wastewater remains a significant problem. Eco-friendly hexagonal spindle-shaped Fe-MOFs (Hs-FeMOFs) were created in this study under the influence of cationic copolymer (PMSt). The mechanism of crystal growth and development of its unique morphology were described after looking into impact factors for the ideal circumstances and being characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS, and other techniques. It revealed that Hs-FeMOFs possess an enormous supply of adsorption active sites, a strong electropositivity, and the nanometer tip. Then, typical organic pollutants, such as herbicides and mixed dyes, as well as biological pollutants bacteria, were chosen to assess its efficacy in wastewater treatment. It was discovered that the pendimethalin could be quickly removed in wastewater and the removal rate reached 100% within 10 min. In separation of mixed dyes, the retention rate of malachite green (MG) reached 92.3% in 5 min and with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.8 mg/mL and demonstrated strong activity due to the presence of cationic copolymers. In actual water matrix, Hs-FeMOF could also play excellent adsorption and antibacterial activity. In summary, a novel, environmentally friendly MOF material with good activity was successfully created by cationic copolymer induction. It offers a fresh approach to develop functional materials in wastewater treatment.