For the sake of the environment, it is essential to effectively capture radioiodine that is produced or released as a result of nuclear fission. In this situation, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) may be effective materials to help with the challenging environmental problem. A new MOF, [Cd₂(tpa)(tz)2(DMF)₂] (FV-1), is synthesized by the solvothermal reaction of rigid terephthalic acid (H₂tpa) and 1,2,4-triazole (Htz) with Cd(II) salt. According to single crystal XRD, FV-1 has a 3D framework with a 3,4-connected rare dmc topological network. The as-prepared MOF was carefully characterised, and its iodine adsorption in the vapour and solution phases was further investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, exhibiting an incredibly high adsorption capacity. In the vapour and solution phases, respectively, FV-1 has a maximum sorption capacity of about 0.554 and 0.301 g g^-1, with a recyclability of up to four cycles. According to XPS and Raman spectra, iodine attaches to the MOF in the forms of I₂ and I₃ species. It's interesting to note that DFT analyses of iodine sorption to investigate the mechanism of binding with FV-1 show that, among other interactions, the O---I interaction predominates to provide significant iodine uptake. At pH = 7 and room temperature, a cationic dye called methylene blue (MB) can be highly efficiently and selectively adsorbed and separated by FV-1, and the MOF retains the same adsorption capacity even after repeated cycles. Thus, the present MOF acts as a dual functional material for higher iodine uptake and efficient cationic dye adsorption.

Farhat Vakil

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