MIL-53 (Fe)-directed synthesis of hierarchically mesoporous carbon and its utilization for ciprofloxacin antibiotic remediation

Herein, we have developed a facile method for the synthesis of novel mesoporous carbon-embedded zero-valent Fe sites from the metal-organic framework MIL-53 (Fe) and its utilization for ciprofloxacin antibiotic remediation. To form the porous carbon, the pyrolysis of MIL-53 (Fe) was carried out at 800 degrees C under nitrogen atmosphere. The characterization results revealed that the MIL-53 (Fe)-based carbon obtained a hierarchically mesoporous structure, high surface area, large pore along with important functional groups. The response surface methodology was also used to find out the optimal conditions for the ciprofloxacin removal. Moreover, the kinetic and isotherm studies were investigated to elucidate the adsorption behavior and mechanism controlled the process. With a high maximum adsorption capacity (90.9 mg/g), good reusability (up to 5 cycles), and chemical stability via leaching test study, the mesoporous carbon derived from MIL-53 (Fe) is proposed to be an effective adsorbent for antibiotic treatment in water.