ZIF-8 enhanced removal of tetracycline by covalently crosslinked sodium alginate aerogel: A feasible approach for environmental improvement

In this study, a composite aerogel was synthesized through the in situ integration of ZIF-8 within a sodium alginate (SA) framework, followed by cross-linking and freeze-drying. SA@ZIF-8 demonstrated enhanced adsorption capacity and reusability. The introduction of ZIF-8 improved the aerogel’s surface properties and generated abundant porous adsorption sites. At 298 K, the composite exhibited a maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of 200.4 mg g −1 for tetracycline (TC). The adsorption process of SA@ZIF-8 for tetracycline followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption mechanisms include synergistic effects, hydrogen bonding, coordination bonding, electrostatic attractions, and π–π interactions. In addition, following ten adsorption-desorption cycles, the material consistently demonstrated a removal efficiency surpassing 65.7 %. On the whole, this study demonstrates an efficient biomass adsorbent for the removal of tetracycline from drain water. The prepared composite aerogel exhibits excellent reusability for efficient tetracycline removal from wastewater, demonstrating strong potential for practical water treatment applications.