Two widespread environmental problems are addressed with a materials solution devised by an international research team. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste, a persistent plastic recalcitrant to most recycling remedies, serves as the foundation for the growth of metal-organic frameworks which are in turn applied to the removal of insecticide residues from water.

Small squares of PET plastic were immersed in an acidic solution to which zirconium salts were added. The Waste PET served as a source for MOF formation and insecticide sorbent. Source: Oleg Semyonova et al.plastic surface supports the formation of UiO-66, a MOF with a very high surface area and high thermal stability.

The hybrid PET/MOF material demonstrates a high adsorption capacity and rate toward removal of the insecticide imidacloprid from water. In addition to its stability and recyclability, the material offers 100 times enhanced permeability compared to UiO-66 powder; and applicability in fixed-bed columns.

The researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University (Russia), Wuhan University of Technology (China), University of Chemistry and Technology (Czech Republic), Ghent University Global Campus (South Korea) and J.E. Purkyne University (Czech Republic) suggest use of the PET-based MOF in fixed-bed columns to filter insecticide residues from agricultural water systems.