Hollow MOFs, utilizing large cavities (>50 nm) and hierarchical pores, significantly enhance mass transfer kinetics and site accessibility, thereby outperforming conventional microporous (<2 nm) MOFs in adsorption capacity, rate, and functional integration. Meanwhile, dual-MOF heterostructures achieve comprehensive performance enhancement through multiscale synergy in space, electronics, and function: complementary active sites increase capacity and selectivity; hierarchical pores and interfaces optimize mass transfer pathways; and composite configurations substantially improve their stability and cycling durability under complex conditions. In this work, a core-satellite structured NH2-ZIF-8@Ni/Co-BTC composite was successfully fabricated, demonstrating markedly superior performance for adsorptive desulfurization. Batch adsorption tests indicate a saturated uptake of ∼90 mg/g for thiophenic sulfur (Th-S) compounds under ambient conditions. The kinetic data obey a pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption equilibrium is well-fitted by the Freundlich isotherm, consistent with a multilayer adsorption mechanism. The composite retains high selectivity for Th-S against representative aromatic and olefinic competitors and maintains approximately 85% of its initial adsorption capacity over repeated cycles without significant structural degradation. Integrated experimental characterization and density functional theory (DFT) simulations elucidate the coexistence of multiple complementary adsorption mechanisms. The exceptional performance arises from a synergistic interplay: (i) strong S-M (M = Ni, Co, Zn) coordination bonds form between the multimetal sites and the Th-S sulfur atom; (ii) enhanced affinity via π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic moieties of the MOF linkers and the Th-S ring; and (iii) additional stabilization through N-H···S hydrogen bonding provided by the amino functionalities of NH2-ZIF-8. This architecture successfully achieves a balance of high capacity, high selectivity, and high stability. Consequently, this study furnishes a viable material design blueprint and valuable theoretical guidance for progressing adsorptive desulfurization toward practical implementation in clean fuel manufacturing.

The traditional porous carbon as a drug carrier still has some drawbacks, such as irregular shape, low drug loading capacity, and uncontrollable release time. In this study, highly spherical hydroxyapatite-mesoporous carbon microspheres (HSPC) with an ordered mesoporous structure were successfully prepared. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) and glucose were used as precursors, and the water-based hydrothermal synthesis and hightemperature calcination methods were adopted. The reaction conditions were optimized. Specifically, the reaction time was set at 3 h, and the initial glucose concentration was 2.5 M. The obtained HSPC has a high specific surface area (668.62 m2/g), a large pore volume (0.29 cm3/g), and an abundant mesoporous structure (pore diameters of 3.30-4.20 nm). As a sustained-release carrier, the drug loading capacity of HSPC for ornidazole (ONZ) reached 210.20 mg/g, and for metronidazole (MNZ) reached 200.30 mg/g. The experiments involving the release of the studied drugs showed that HSPC is pH-sensitive, and the release rate in gastric fluid (pH 1.5) was significantly higher than that in intestinal fluid (pH 7.4) and oral environment (pH 7). This release process followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas diffusion model, demonstrating long-term sustained-release characteristics. Moreover, HSPC exhibited extremely high stability during repeated drug loading cycles. This material combines excellent biocompatibility and sustained-release performance, providing an important reference for the development of new drug carriers.

The efficient removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is challenging, as conventional monometallic MOFs and powdered activated carbons suffer from limited active sites, poor stability, or unfavorable morphologies. Herein, a novel spherical porous carbon (SPC) derived from a Cu/Zn-BTC bimetallic MOF was synthesized via glucose-assisted hydrothermal carbonization and high-temperature pyrolysis. Featuring high sphericity, uniform pore channels, and abundant bimetallic active sites, SPC exhibits enhanced PFOA adsorption performance and water stability. The optimized SPC(5-(Cu/Zn-BTC)) achieves a maximum adsorption capacity of 480 mg g-1 (surpassing most reported materials), with pseudo-second-order kinetics and spontaneous exothermic adsorption behavior. The process is dominated by synergistic mechanisms, including Cu2+/Zn2+-carboxylate coordination (verified by XPS), electrostatic attraction under acidic conditions (supported by zeta potential analysis), and hydrophobic interactions. Notably, SPC retains high adsorption efficiency after five regeneration cycles due to robust structural stability. This material exhibits potential for application in the field of PFOA removal from aqueous systems.

MIL-101(Fe) demonstrates considerable potential in the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics such as oxytetracycline (OTC), yet its broader application is constrained by high photogenerated carrier recombination rates, mass transfer limitations, and inefficient utilization of visible light. In contrast, porous coordination cages (PCCs) possess customizable cavity structures and functional groups, yet suffer from poor stability and difficult recovery. To address these limitations, we propose a "cage-on-MOF" strategy, in which a sulfonic acidfunctionalized cage (PCC-4) is mechanochemically immobilized onto MIL-101(Fe) to form an II-scheme heterojunction composite, denoted as MIL-101(Fe)@PCC-4 (MP). The resulting composite integrates the photoactivity of MIL-101(Fe) with the molecular adsorption of PCC-4, effectively suppressing charge-carrier recombination through interfacial synergy and extending the visible-light response. The MP catalyst exhibits significantly enhanced OTC degradation efficiency under visible light compared to its individual components and most reported catalysts, along with excellent cyclic stability and pH adaptability. Mechanistic studies confirm center dot O2-, h+, and center dot OH as primary active species. LC-MS and ecotoxicity analysis further reveal the complete degradation pathway of OTC and the environmental safety of its products. This work provides valuable insights for designing highly efficient materials for antibiotic degradation and holds potential applications in environmental remediation.

Background: This work presents a recoverable magnetic Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst, a solution designed for both high efficacy and easy separation, to tackle the persistent issue of antibiotics in water systems. Methods: This study demonstrates the successful construction of a magnetic Z-scheme heterojunction photo-catalyst ZnO/M-Fe2O3 through a facile hydrothermal-calcination process, using Zn-doped MIL-101(Fe) with varying Zn ratios as precursors. Significant findings: The optimal ZnO/M-Fe2O3 (ZFO) achieved 93.6% degradation of tetracycline within 140 min under visible light, with a reaction rate constant of 0.0161 min-1, which is far superior to that of single-component materials and other reported heterojunction photocatalysts. Mechanistic studies confirm that the constructed Z-scheme heterojunction markedly improved charge carrier separation, consequently enhancing the production of center dot OH, h+, and center dot O2-. Furthermore, ZFO possesses key benefits including magnetic recoverability, exceptional cycling stability and low ecological toxicity, making it a promising candidate for application.

High manufacturing costs and particle aggregation often limit the practical application of MOFs in water treatment.

Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) have gained widespread attention as potential adsorbents for the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). However, single-component MOF often exhibit limitations in adsorption capacity, functionality, and pore structure. Hereby, we innovatively designed and synthesized a dual-metal core-shell MOF composite adsorbent, MIL-101(Cr)@ZIF-8 (a chromium-zinc bimetallic MOF, CZDM), which exhibits an excellent adsorption removal performance of PFOA from aqueous solutions. The results showed that the CZDM composite material has a high specific surface area (2091 m2/g), with pore structures exhibiting typical micropores (-1.16 nm) and mesopores (-3.4 nm), which are crucial for the efficient adsorption of PFOA. SEM and TEM images revealed that CZDM has a uniform core-shell morphology, with MIL-101(Cr) as the core and ZIF-8 as the shell, maintaining a stable and intact structure. EDX analysis further confirmed the successful incorporation of Cr and Zn elements. Batch experiments evaluated the effects of temperature, solution pH, and PFOA concentration on adsorption efficiency. The results demonstrated that the CZDM-3 adsorbent exhibited rapid adsorption kinetics and good PFOA removal efficiency across a wide pH range. The superior adsorption performance of CZDM is attributed to the synergistic effect of the dual-metal active sites, optimized pore structure, electrostatic interactions, and coordination bonds. The maximum adsorption capacity for PFOA reached 625.5 mg/g, with equilibrium achieved within 60 min, outperforming some related reported adsorbents. The experimental data of the adsorption process fit well with both Langmuir adsorption isotherms and pseudo-second-order kinetics models, indicating that the adsorption process is spontaneous, endothermic, and accompanied by an increase in entropy. Notably, even after five cycles, the CZDM material maintained high removal efficiency toward PFOA. This study advances a new synthesizing strategy of the MOF@MOF, and the CZDM exhibits a potential application in PFOA elimination from water. (c) 2025 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Investigating the effects of lithium slag (LS) as an admixtures on the properties of different cement pastes can expand its potential applications in construction materials. This study examines the influence of LS content (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) on the performance of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), ultra-fine ordinary Portland cement (UPC), and calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSC) pastes. The underlying mechanisms are explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results indicate that incorporating LS reduces the fluidity, setting time, and bleeding rate of cement pastes but enhances their compressive strength at 1, 7, and 28 days. Specifically, LS improves the long-term strength of OPC pastes, whereas it primarily enhances the early-age strength of UPC pastes. For CSC pastes, LS significantly promotes both early and later-age strength. SEM, XRD, and FTIR analyses reveal that the effects of LS stem from a filling effect and the activation of hydration reactions, where reactive components and gypsum in LS promote the formation of hydration products such as calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and ettringite. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the application of LS in diverse cementitious systems.

Metal–organic framework (MOF) has gained widespread attention as potential adsorbents for the removal of methylmercury (CH3Hg+). This study synthesizes a defective MIL-88A(Fe) (D-MIL-88A(Fe)) from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Structural characterization via XRD, SEM, N2 adsorption–desorption, and FT-IR confirmed the crystalline MIL-88A(Fe) framework with hierarchical porosity (0.6 nm micropores and 1.95 nm mesopores) and retained carboxyl/Fe–O functional groups, enhancing mass transfer and adsorption accessibility. Adsorption equilibrium studies revealed 93.4

Hollow structures are employed extensively in the preparation of photocatalysts and the reduction of organic waste as a consequence of their advantageous characteristics, including reduced weight, shorter charge transport distances, higher specific surface areas, boosted photoabsorption capabilities and improved separation efficiency of charge carriers. Nevertheless, the intricate procedures associated with template selection and removal present considerable obstacles to their extensive implementation. Hereby, a simple two-step hydrothermal process was employed to synthesize octahedral hollow MIL-101(Fe)@CdIn2S4 (HMC) photocatalysts for efficient tetracycline (TC) degradation, with using MIL-101(Fe) as a template. The HMC photocatalyst maintains the intrinsic octahedral morphology of MIL-101(Fe). In comparison to the block morphology of CdIn2S4 (CIS), the unique hollow structure of HMC not only makes it easier for TC molecules to accumulate but also improves the absorption of visible light. Furthermore, the Z-type heterojunction formed between MIL-101(Fe) and CIS facilitates the secession of photogenerated charge carriers, thereby enhancing photocatalytic performance. Photocatalytic activity assessments demonstrate that 15 mg of HMC achieves a remarkable TC degradation rate of 97 % within 140 mins, and the degradation rate constants are 9.1 and 3.2 times greater, than those of MIL-101(Fe) and CIS. This represents a superior photocatalytic degradation efficiency when compared to previous studies, with the use of a smaller quantity of catalyst and a shorter reaction time. Moreover, this research investigates the synthesis conditions of HMC under various parameters and elucidates the dynamic CIS etching and in-situ growth on MIL101(Fe). Morphological and microstructural analyses confirm the orderly and dense assembly of n-type CIS catalyst nanoparticles at the exterior of the MIL-101(Fe) crystal. A comprehensive investigation employing electron spin resonance (ESR), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), toxicity assays, and density functional theory (DFT) analyses was conducted to give a deeper understanding into the TC degradation process.

Bending loss is one of the serious problems for constructing nanophotonic integrated circuits. Recently, many works reported that valley photonic crystals (VPhCs) enable significantly high transmission via 120-degree sharp bends. However, it is unclear whether the high bend-transmission results directly from the valley-photonic effects, which are based on the breaking of inversion symmetry. In this study, we conduct a series of comparative numerical and experimental investigations of bend-transmission in various triangular PhCs with and without inversion symmetry and reveal that the high bend-transmission is solely determined by the domain-wall configuration and independent of the existence of the inversion symmetry. Preliminary analysis of the polarization distribution indicates that high bend-transmissions are closely related to the appearance of local topological polarization singularities near the bending section. Our work demonstrates that high transmission can be achieved in a much wider family of PhC waveguides, which may provide novel designs for low-loss nanophotonic integrated circuits with enhanced flexibility and a new understanding of the nature of valley-photonics

Conventional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have potential applications in adsorption desulfurization due to their open metal sites, structural diversity, and high specific surface area. However, the narrow internal pores limit the adsorption and diffusion of thiophene sulfur molecules (TSM). Therefore, we constructed a novel hollow-type Zn-BTC (HZB) adsorbent by a self-assembled hydrothermal method without using dopant templating agents. The presence of a large internal cavity can be seen by SEM. The results of batch tests showed that the hollow structure Zn-BTC has higher sulfur absorption capacity and faster diffusion rate. The adsorption isotherms were in good agreement with both Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models, suggesting multilayer adsorption combined with pore-filling effect. The maximum adsorption capacity of the TSMs could reach 80% within 30 min, which enabled rapid adsorption in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption mechanism involves pore filling, ligand effect, and p-p attraction. In addition, HZB-3 maintained good adsorption capacity after the fifth cycle, showing good reusability and stability. This work provides a new strategy for TMS capture using hollow MOF. (c) 2025 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Conventional type-II heterojunctions often suffer from Coulombic repulsion and low redox potential, limiting photocatalytic performance. Inspiringly, type-S heterojunctions exhibit great promise due to their ability to suppress Coulombic repulsion and higher redox potential. Herein, we report a novel p-n type LaFeO3@MIL-100 (Fe) nanocomposite with an internal electric field, designed to enhance Fenton-like activity. This composite forms an S-type heterojunction and exhibits excellent photocatalytic degradation performance for Levofloxacin (LEV), with Fenton activity 2.62 and 2.24 times higher than LaFeO3 and MIL-100(Fe), respectively. The enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effect between the materials, efficient charge separation, and mutual Fe3+/Fe2+ reduction. The internal electric field further boosts charge carrier transfer. Density functional theory (DFT) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses were employed to investigate the photocatalytic degradation pathways. Toxicity tests of degradation intermediates confirm the effectiveness of the photo-Fenton process.

To address the urgent demand for efficient elimination of antibiotic contaminants in aquatic environments, this study developed an innovative two-step hydrothermal synthesis strategy. Hydrolysis of Cu(NO3)2 center dot 3 H2O induced selective proton etching of the MIL-101(Fe) framework, with MIL-101(Fe) acting as a consumable structural template. This process simultaneously liberated Fe3 + ions and negatively charged organic ligands, which subsequently co-precipitated with Cu2+, NO3- , and OH- ions to enable in-situ growth of Cu-Fe LDH nanoparticles on the MIL-101(Fe) surface. The engineered Z-scheme MIL-101(Fe)@Cu-Fe LDH heterojunction, maintains MIL-101 (Fe)'s original octahedral configuration and bimodal porosity while introducing superior charge transfer capabilities. These enhancements originate from synergistic Z-scheme heterojunction dynamics coupled with concurrent Fe3+/Fe2+ and Cu2+/Cu+ dual redox cycling. Morphological and microstructural characterization confirmed the uniform dispersion of Cu-Fe LDH nanoparticles across the MIL-101(Fe) surface. Compared with individual components, the composite exhibited superior specific surface area and enhanced visible-light utilization efficiency. Photocatalytic evaluation demonstrated that 15 mg of MIL-101(Fe)@Cu-Fe LDH achieved 96.5 % tetracycline (see Table S1) degradation within 140 min under visible-light irradiation, with degradation rate constants 6.44 and 5.92 times greater than those of bare Cu-Fe LDH and MIL-101(Fe), respectively. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical scavenging assays systematically confirmed center dot OH, h+ and center dot O2- radicals as dominant reactive species of the degradation mechanism. Complementary liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry characterization integrated with ecotoxicity evaluation not only elucidated TC degradation pathways but also confirmed the environmentally benign nature of the resultant intermediates.

By integrating optimized material designs with precision fabrication, multifunctional heterojunctions serve as key platforms in advanced materials chemistry, showcasing potential to address complex challenges in science and engineering. Herein, a MIL-101(Fe)@ZIF-8 (ZM-x) MOF-on-MOF hybrid was successfully engineered to achieve dual functionality in tetracycline (TC) management. The hierarchical architecture of ZM-2 synergistically combines MIL-101(Fe)'s photocatalysis prowess with ZIF-8 ' s fluorescence detection capabilities, resulting in a 97.2 % TC degradation efficiency under visible light (3.9 x 10-2 min-1, 2.2-fold higher than MIL-101(Fe) alone) and a rapid fluorescence response (37 nM detection limit within 60 s). This work pioneers a "diagnose-treat" paradigm for antibiotic pollution control, offering a scalable and multifunctional platform for real-time environmental monitoring and remediation. Future efforts will focus on optimizing MOF-on-MOF compositions for broader pollutant targets and integrating smart sensing-degradation systems for field applications.

Due to the limited Cd(II) absorption capacity and stability of single and simple metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), combining two MOF building blocks to create a core-shell MOF-in-MOF composite material offers a promising approach for efficiently capturing Cd(II) from aqueous solutions. Utilizing the epitaxial growth method, we successfully fabricated a core-shell structured (NH2-MIL-125)-in-(ZIF-67) (M-in-Z) composite material. The material underwent comprehensive characterization employing SEM, XRD, FT-IR, N2 adsorption-desorption, and diverse testing methods to evaluate its Cd(II) adsorption and removal capabilities in water environments. The Cd(II) adsorption capacities exhibited the sequence NH2-MIL-125 < ZIF-67 < M-in-Z(54). Adsorption isotherm results adhered to the Langmuir model, indicating a relatively ideal single-molecule layer adsorption process for Cd(II) on M-in-Z(54). The adsorption kinetics conformed to the pseudo-second-order model, indicating that equilibrium was reached in 30 min. Thermodynamic studies unveiled the spontaneous, exothermic nature of the M-in-Z(54) adsorption process, associated with an increase in degrees of freedom. Physical adsorption emerged as the primary driving force, complemented by chemical adsorption. Following five adsorption cycles, M-in-Z(54) sustained its Cd(II) adsorption performance at 92.56% of the initial capacity, showcasing outstanding regeneration capability. Moreover, the structure and morphology of M-in-Z(54) remained intact after regeneration, demonstrating superior stability compared to the core-satellite structure. This conclusion highlights the promising potential of M-in-Z(54) as an environmentally friendly material for efficient Cd(II) removal.

To address China’s growing dependence on imported crude oil and the rising demand for aromatic hydrocarbons, this study develops a novel co-aromatization strategy utilizing abundant C5 alkanes as non-petroleum feedstocks for efficient BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene) production through catalytic conversion of n-pentane. Critically, we demonstrate that thermally coupling the endothermic aromatization of n-pentane with the exothermic aromatization of methanol enables exceptional process efficiency. Aspen Plus simulation results reveal that this integrated approach achieves near-complete conversion of n-pentane (100

Antibiotics in wastewater have posed severe environmental pollution and health issues, and the photo-Fenton process using iron-based semiconductors is an effective method for degrading antibiotics in water. To further enhance the photo-Fenton catalytic efficiency and stability, this work thermally decomposed a dual MOF into TiO2/Fe2O3 (TF-3-350), retaining the morphology of the original dual MOF and effectively preventing the agglomeration of metal oxide nanoparticles. TF-3-350 possessed mesoporous structures within 10 nm, a rich specific surface area, and a partially hollow structure, which provided a micro-reactor environment for photo-catalysis, increasing the number of active sites and reducing the distance for mass and charge transfer. On the one hand, forming a Z-scheme heterojunction between TiO2 and Fe2O3 facilitates charge and hole separation. On the other hand, oxygen radicals produced from the Fe2O3 and H2O2 photo-Fenton process, along with TiOOH structures formed between TiO2 and H2O2, synergistically contributed to the degradation of tetracycline (TC). As a result, TF-3-350 achieved 97.4 % degradation of TC within 140 minutes, with photocatalytic performance improved by 13.8 %, 24.2 %, and 21.5 % compared to single components and their mixtures, respectively. Additionally, this work employed density functional theory (DFT) calculations and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to investigate the pathways of photo-induced electron transfer and photocatalytic degradation. Finally, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis was conducted to assess the toxicity of degradation intermediates, confirming the efficacy of the photocatalytic process. This work provides new insights for dual MOF-derived metal oxides in the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water.

The uniform pore size distribution and inherent particle inseparability of iron-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) have been shown to significantly hinder their light-harvesting capabilities and charge carrier separation efficiency. These intrinsic limitations compromise catalyst recyclability and reaction kinetics in practical scenarios, thereby impeding their applicability in the degradation of antibiotic pollutants such as levofloxacin (LEV) in aquatic environments. Here, we report an S-type heterojunction photocatalyst, MnFe2O4@MIL-101(Fe), prepared via hydrothermal coupling of magnetic MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with MIL-101(Fe). The synergistic effect of Fe3+/Fe2+ and Mn3+/Mn2+ redox pairs, combined with the heterojunction interface and built-in electric field, significantly enhances visible-light-driven photo-Fenton activity. The catalyst degraded over 95% of LEV with a rate constant of 0.05056 min-1 and retained 87% activity after five cycles. LC-MS analysis revealed defluorination and demethylation pathways, while toxicity assessments confirmed lower LC50, mutagenicity, and developmental toxicity of intermediates, validating the environmental viability of the photo-Fenton process.