Fe/Co-MOF Nanocatalysts: Greener Chemistry Approach for the Removal of Toxic Metals and Catalytic Applications

Abstract

This study describes the preparation of new bimetallic (Fe/Co)–organic framework (Bi-MOF) nanocatalysts with different percentages of iron/cobalt for their use and reuse in adsorption, antibacterial, antioxidant, and catalytic applications following the principles of green chemistry. The prepared catalysts were characterized using several techniques, including X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. These techniques proved the formation of MOFs, and the average crystallite sizes were 25.3–53.1, 27.6–67.2, 3.0–18.9, 3.0–12.9, and 3.0–23.6 nm for the Fe-MOF, Co-MOF, 10%Fe:90%Co-MOF, 50%Fe:50%Co-MOF, and 90%Fe:10%Co-MOF samples, respectively. The nanoscale (Fe/Co) Bi-MOF catalysts as efficient heterogeneous solid catalysts showed high catalytic activity with excellent yields and short reaction times in the catalytic reactions of quinoxaline and dibenzoxanthene compounds, in addition to their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Furthermore, the nanoscale (Fe/Co) Bi-MOF catalysts efficiently removed toxic metal pollutants (Pb 2+ , Hg 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Cu 2+ ) from aqueous solutions with high adsorption capacity.

Role of nanohybrid NiO–Fe3O4 in enhancing the adsorptive performance of activated carbon synthesized from Yemeni-Khat leave in removal of Pb (II) and Hg (II) from aquatic systems

“…According to Fig. 5 , which is based on the IUPAC classification (mesopores; 2–50 nm), the total pore volume by BET obtained decreased from 3.93 to 1.98 cc/g at p/p o = 0.99, as well as the average pore size decreased from 3.70 to 1.30 nm [ 27 ].

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“…Adsorption method has several preferences including; simplicity design, low cost, safe removal of pollutants from water, easy availability, high thermal and chemical stability, high efficiency, and easy use. In the adsorption method, zeolite, activated carbon (AC), MCM-41, MOFs, and silica adsorbents [ [26] , [27] , [28] ] are used as efficient adsorbents for water treatment. AC material is widely used in water treatment, as it is known [ [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] ].…”

Efficient Synthesis of N‐Pyridinylamides Using a Bimetallic Co/Fe‐Metal‐Organic Framework Heterogeneous Catalyst

“…Our findings demonstrate that the incorporation of Fe and Co metal centers in MOFs can act as highly efficient catalysts for the oxidative amidation reaction. These metal centers play a pivotal role in expediting the activation of the C−H bond within the aldehyde substrate, making it susceptible to nucleophilic attack by the amine [69] . Moreover, the presence of these metal centers significantly reduces the energy barrier for the reaction, thereby increasing the reaction rate, ultimately leading to the enhanced formation of the desired product [70] …”

Nickel-L-leucine framework (MOF): synthesis, structural characterization, and potential applications in biological studies

“…The collected data shows that the synthesized MOF exhibits significantly enhanced antioxidant activity against both ABTS and DPPH free radicals compared to the MOF reported in the literature. The optimized synthesis conditions, unique ligands and metal ions interaction, structural modifications, composition, purity, and surface reactivity are the factors that can affect the antioxidant activity of MOF [35,36].…”