Facile fabrication of carbon spheres derived from Zr/Fe-based bimetallic organic framework for ultrafast and efficient removal of triclosan from water

The existence of highly effective antibacterial agents such as triclosan (TCS) in terrestrial environments and even the human body results in increasing ecological and public health risk due to their potential toxicity. Here, a series of magnetic porous carbon spheres derived from Zr/Fe-based bimetallic organic framework, denoted as Zr/Fe-MOF@C, were developed for the efficient removal of triclosan (TCS) from water. The Zr/Fe-MOF@C demonstrated enhanced adsorption performance for TCS with a maximum adsorption capacity of 769.23 mg/g in 30 s. This value is ~10 times higher than that of many previously reported materials, demonstrating a significant advancement. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics of TCS on Zr/Fe-MOF@C were best described by the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models, respectively. The thermodynamic analysis confirmed that the TCS removal process was favorable, spontaneous, and exothermic. Notably, Zr/Fe-MOF exhibited exceptional regenerative stability, retaining adsorption capacity of 308–410 mg/g over four consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles. The removal mechanism of TCS by Zr/Fe-MOF@C is primarily attributed to the synergistic effects of π-π stacking interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and pore filling effects. Given its rapid adsorption kinetics, excellent removal capacity, and convenient recyclability via external magnets, Zr/Fe-MOF@C emerges as a promising adsorbent for TCS removal from surface water, highlighting its strong potential for practical applications in real-water treatment.