A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Microwave-assisted synthesis of ZIF-67(Co)-based composite for efficient separation of oils and organic contaminants from water




AuthorsGivirovskiy, Georgy; Givirovskaia, Daria; Yerkinbekova, Yerkezhan; Laitinen, Ville; Puro, Liisa; Laakso, Timo; Granroth, Sari; Mäkilä, Ermei; Repo, Eveliina

PublisherElsevier

Publication year2026

Journal: Materials and Design

Article number115652

Volume263

ISSN0264-1275

eISSN1873-4197

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2026.115652

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingOpen Access

Publication channel's open availability Open Access publication channel

Web address https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2026.115652

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/515876362

Self-archived copy's licenceCC BY

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

Oil pollution and industrial organic contaminants pose risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health, creating a need for sorbent materials that combine high efficiency, selectivity, and durability. Herein, we report a hierarchical metal-organic framework-based composite sorbent prepared via a rapid two-step microwave-assisted strategy. In the first step, cobalt hydroxide nanosheet arrays were uniformly grown on fluorine-modified carbon fibers using a pulsed microwave-assisted approach, enabling ultrafast nanostructure formation. In the second step, zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 nanocrystals were deposited onto the nanosheets, yielding a hierarchical architecture with nanoscale crystallites and microporosity. The composite exhibited a transition from hydrophobic/oleophilic to superhydrophobic/superoleophilic behavior, enabling efficient and selective oil/water separation. Sorption tests revealed high uptake capacities (84–321 wt.%) across a broad range of organic liquids, surpassing many previously reported metal-organic framework-based sorbents. The composite also enabled the treatment of surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions, achieving 76% diesel removal within 30 minutes. Moreover, the material demonstrated excellent reusability and stability under repeated cycling and harsh experimental conditions, retaining both structural integrity and sorption performance. The developed synthesis strategy enables rapid fabrication of highly efficient sorbents for environmental remediation and provides experimental insights broadly relevant for the design of other metal-organic framework-derived composites with hierarchical structures.


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Funding information in the publication
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the European Regional Development Fund, ELY Centre for South Savo (project number: A90790), as well as the Research Council of Finland (decision numbers: 330076 and 358148).


Last updated on 20/03/2026 07:50:23 AM