Decoration of Cotton Fibers with a Water-Stable Metal–Organic Framework (UiO-66) for the Decomposition and Enhanced Adsorption of Micropollutants in Water

We report on the successful functionalization of cotton fabrics with a water-stable metal–organic framework (MOF), UiO-66, under mild solvothermal conditions (80 °C) and its ability to adsorb and degrade water micropollutants. The functionalized cotton samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). UiO-66 crystals grew in a uniform and conformal manner over the surface of the cotton fibers. The cotton fabrics functionalized with UiO-66 frameworks exhibited an enhanced uptake capacity for methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid (MCPP), a commonly used herbicide. The functionalized fabrics also showed photocatalytic activity, demonstrated by the degradation of acetaminophen, a common pharmaceutical compound, under simulated sunlight irradiation. These results indicate that UiO-66 can be supported on textile substrates for filtration and photocatalytic purposes and that these substrates can find applications in wastewater decontamination and micropollutant degradation.