Near-Infrared Driven Photocatalytic Adsorption Via UiO-66-NH₂/MXene/Upconversion Nanoparticle Ternary Composite for Ultra-Efficient Removal of Organic Dyes from Wastewater
摘要
Developing advanced strategies for wastewater treatment is crucial to address the persistent challenge of organic dye pollution. In this study, we report the synthesis of a UiO-66-NH₂/MXene/NaYF₄:Yb, Tm upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) ternary composite using a simple sonication stirring approach. The structure and properties of the materials were verified by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Photoluminescence (PL), Ultraviolet-Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS) analyses. The composite demonstrated a surface area of ~ 150 m²/g and improved conductivity (0.14–0.25 mS/cm), which facilitated rapid charge transfer and suppressed recombination. Under optimized conditions (20 mg catalyst, neutral pH 7, and 50 mg/L initial dye concentration), the material demonstrated outstanding activity, achieving 98.7% methylene blue removal within 25 min of near-infrared (NIR) irradiation (980 nm). Radical scavenging and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) confirmed •OH and •O₂⁻ as the main reactive species. The catalyst maintained > 91% efficiency after five reuse cycles, indicating strong stability. These results highlight the synergistic roles of UiO-66-NH₂, MXene, and UCNPs in enabling an efficient, reusable, and solar relevant photocatalyst for sustainable wastewater purification.