In-situ synthesis of SiO2@MOF composites for high-efficiency removal of aniline from aqueous solution

A series of SiO 2 @aluminum-MOF(MIL-68) composites with different SiO 2 loadings have been synthesized by a simple and mild compositing strategy for high-efficiency removal of aniline. As evidenced from SEM and TEM images as well as the particle size distribution , the incorporation of SiO 2 can improve the dispersity of MIL-68(Al) in composites, and result in the smaller particle size than that of pristine MIL-68(Al). Besides, the adsorption of aniline over SiO 2 , MIL-68(Al), the physical mixture of these two materials, and SiO 2 @MIL-68(Al) composites was investigated comparatively, demonstrating a relatively high adsorption capacity (531.9   mg   g −1 ) of 7% SiO 2 @MIL-68(Al) towards aniline. Combining the ultrafast adsorption dynamics (reaching equilibrium within 40   s) and great reusability, 7% SiO 2 @MIL-68(Al) shows excellent adsorption performance. This indicates that the SiO 2 @MIL-68(Al) composites possess great potential applications as a kind of fascinating adsorbent in water pollution protection.