Fabrication of Deep Eutectic Solvents functionalized Metal Organic Framework based Thin Film Nanocomposite Membranes for Heavy Metals Removal from Wastewater

Abstract

The human population on our planet is continuously rising, consequently, the demand for clean water is increasing with the same proportion. Due to industrialization, water is continuously being polluted with heavy metals. Heavy metals are a major contaminant of water that have drastic effects on the life of humans as well as plants and animals. Numerous programs and technologies have been developed till now to eradicate the problem of water shortness and to treat the polluted water. Conventional technologies for water treatment include adsorption, ion exchange, chemical precipitation, and oxidation. However, these techniques have the disadvantage of high sludge production, high energy requirement, and low heavy metal ion rejection that limits their use in heavy metals removal. Membrane technology, specifically thin film nanocomposite membranes are considered a potential alternative for heavy metals removal from wastewater owing to its low energy requirements and high metal rejection. In this dissertation, we investigated the incorporation of Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks namely UiO66 functionalized with deep eutectic solvents (DES) in thin-film composite membranes for heavy metals removal. Three different DESs comprising of choline chloride as hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and ethylene glycol, urea, and glycerol as hydrogen bond donors (HBD) were used for MOF functionalization.