RESEARCH PROGRESS REVIEW

Advanced Materials for Water Treatment

Adsorptive and Photocatalytic Approaches for Pollutant Removal

Project 1: Adsorption

UiO-66-NH₂/Fe-AC composites

As(V) & F⁻ removal

Project 2: Photocatalysis

Graphite/TiO₂ composites

Photodegradation of ofloxacin

Sonia Judith Segovia-Sandoval, Joaquín Silvestre Albero

Laboratorio de Materiales Avanzados — Instituto Universitario de Materiales, Universidad de Alicante

BACKGROUND

Arsenic and Fluoride: A Global Groundwater Threat

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BACKGROUND

MOF/Activated Carbon hybrid composites

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METHODOLOGY

Synthesis approaches

Fe Impregnated Activated Carbon

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METHODOLOGY

Equilibrium adsorption experiments

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Batch adsorber

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RESULTS

Characterization

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• FeAC: Rough, layered morphology typical of activated carbon.
• UiO-66-NH₂: Homogeneous spherical particles (~50–100 nm).
• In situ: Uniform MOF dispersion with intimate interfacial contact.�Post-synthetic: Visible MOF aggregates and weaker interfacial contact

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RESULTS

Characterization

All samples:

Type I isotherms

Predominantly microporous.��PSD:

In situ: keeps the MOF's ~0.9 nm pores

Post synthetic: shifts to larger 1.4–1.8 nm pores

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RESULTS

Characterization

Fe 2p:

• Mixed Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ oxides

• Confirms iron oxide nanoparticles

��Zr 3d & N 1s:

• Consistent with UiO-66-NH₂

• Framework preserved

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RESULTS

Adsorption Performance

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Arsenic

Fluoride

UiO-66-NH₂ exhibited the highest adsorption capacity due to accessible Zr active sites.

FeAC

Negligible

Is comparing the adsorption capacity per gram of composite really the fairest comparison?

RESULTS

MOF utilization efficiency in hybrid composites

Nominal synthesis composition (50 wt.% MOF)*. Normalizing the adsorption capacity by the nominal MOF mass fraction (0.5) reveals how efficiently the MOF phase is being used..

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As(V) adsorption capacity (mg/g), fixed Ce = 150 mg/L, 30 °C

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Key findings

• Hybrid strategy provides a practical support
• Enables a more efficient utilization of the MOF phase

RESEARCH PROGRESS REVIEW

Advanced Materials for Water Treatment

Adsorptive and Photocatalytic Approaches for Pollutant Removal

Project 1: Adsorption

UiO-66-NH₂/Fe-AC composites

As(V) & F⁻ removal

Project 2: Photocatalysis

Graphite/TiO₂ composites

Photodegradation of ofloxacin

Sonia Judith Segovia-Sandoval, Joaquín Silvestre Albero

Laboratorio de Materiales Avanzados — Instituto Universitario de Materiales, Universidad de Alicante

RESULTS

Characterization

Characterization techniques and preliminary photocatalytic experiments for OFL in collaboration with Prof. Inna Melnyk and Prof. Oksana Makota�Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Košice.

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Photocatalytic activity

RESULTS

Key findings

• Best performance: 1G/4TiO₂.
• Complete degradation under UV in 60 min.
• Increasing the catalyst dosage improved degradation efficiency.
• Seawater reduced efficiency.
• Activity under visible light was lower but still significant.

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Recycling experiments and Scavenger test

RESULTS

Proposed photocatalytic mechanism

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Photocatalytic performance in binary pollutant mixtures

RESULTS

• OFL-ACT (Acetaminophen)
• OFL-RhB (Rhodamine B)

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Secondment and Other Activities

• Secondment at ANAMAD facilities from 18/01/2026 to 25/01/2026.

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• Delivered an oral presentation entitled "Hybrid Zr-MOF/Carbon Adsorbents for Water Purification: Linking Design and Performance" at the International Conference on Hybrid Materials for Environmental Applications (HyMEA), Alicante, Spain, July 6–8, 2026.

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Manuscripts to be submitted:

“Graphite–TiO₂ nanocomposites with enhanced charge separation for efficient photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin in single and binary aqueous systems”

S. J. Segovia-Sandoval*¹, I. Melnyk², O. Makota^2,3, J. Silvestre-Albero*¹

“UiO-66-NH₂ and Fe-impregnated activated carbon composites for As(V) and fluoride removal from water: role of synthesis route and individual component contribution”

S. J. Segovia-Sandoval^1*, D.I. Mendoza-Castillo², A. Bonilla-Petriciolet², J. Silvestre-Albero^1*

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Acknowledgment

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101131382 “Multifunctional sustainable adsorbents for water treatment assisted with plasma technologies and for health protection from xenobiotics” (CLEANWATER)

I would like to thank all the colleagues and institutions who contributed to this work.