Attapulgite-embedded ZIF-67 MOF composites for humidity-resistant adsorption of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde

Hazardous formaldehyde and acetaldehyde removal remains a critical challenge in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) control technologies. Adsorption-based technologies offer distinct advantages for VOCs removal in practical applications due to their operational simplicity, energy efficiency, and adaptability to complex gas matrices. Although metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit superior adsorption capacity for VOCs compared to conventional adsorbents, their widespread industrial application has been hindered by high production costs and limited stability under humid conditions. This study prepared attapulgite (ATP)-functionalized MOF composites that synergistically enhanced both VOCs adsorption capacity at static (formaldehyde: 185 mg/g; acetaldehyde: 196 mg/g at RH = 80%) and dynamic (Breakthrough time for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde: 36 min and 30 min; penetrating adsorption capacity for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde: 2.126 mg/g and 5.258 mg/g), overcoming the intrinsic moisture sensitivity and scalability challenges of pristine MOFs for industrial VOCs abatement. Kinetic analysis confirms that VOCs adsorption on the ATP-MOF composites occurs primarily through spontaneous physical adsorption mechanisms. This study demonstrates an innovative strategy of hybridizing MOFs with natural ATP minerals, offering a viable pathway to enhance the practical deployment of MOF-based adsorbents in complex real-world environments.