Fluoride Removal from Water Sources by Adsorption on MOFs

Fluoride is present in several groundwaters due to natural or anthropogenic origins. Although it is necessary for physiological human functions (in small amounts, i.e., 0.5-1.2 mg/L), it could be very harmful when it exceeds the maximum permissible concentration limit of 1.5 mg/L (according to WHO). Among the numerous technologies for removing fluoride from waters, metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are considered to be promising adsorbents due to their advantages of high porosity, high specific surface area, diverse functions and easy modification. In this study, the synthesis of MOFs and the progress of their application to the removal of fluoride from contaminated water, as published in the recent literature mainly over the past five years, are reviewed. The adsorption mechanism(s) and its main characteristics, such as effect of initial fluoride concentration, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, contact time, adsorption capacity, thermodynamic and regeneration studies, etc., for the removal of fluoride with the addition of different MOFs are compared. According to these comparisons, the hydrothermal/solvothermal synthesis method is most commonly used for the preparation of MOFs, whereas higher BET surface areas are shown by specific MOFs based on aluminum metal ions. The main fluoride adsorption mechanisms were found to be electrostatic attraction and/or complexation. The most common pH for conducting experiments was 7.0, but several examined materials were found to be effective over a wide pH range. Four to six regeneration cycles were successfully applied on average, regarding the MOFs under review, whereas in the majority of these cases, the sorption process was found to be endothermic.

Automated summary

This study reviews the synthesis of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials and their application in removing fluoride from contaminated water. The study compares the adsorption mechanisms and characteristics of different MOFs, such as initial fluoride concentration, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, contact time, adsorption capacity, thermodynamic and regeneration studies. The hydrothermal/solvothermal synthesis method is commonly used for MOF preparation, and MOFs based on aluminum metal ions show higher surface areas. The main fluoride adsorption mechanisms are electrostatic attraction and/or complexation. Several materials are effective over a wide pH range. Most MOFs can be successfully regenerated for four to six cycles, with the sorption process being endothermic in most cases.