Optimizing iodine capture performance by metal-organic framework containing with bipyridine units

Radioactive iodine exhibits medical values in radiology, but its excessive emissions can cause environmental pollution. Thus, the capture of radioiodine poses significant engineering for the environment and medical radiology. The adsorptive capture of radioactive iodine by metal—organic frameworks (MOFs) has risen to prominence. In this work, a Th-based MOF (denoted as Th-BPYDC) was structurally designed and synthesized, consisting of [Th(µ-O)(µ-OH)(HO)] clusters, abundant bipyridine units, and large cavities that allowed guest molecules diffusion and transmission. Th-BPYDC exhibited the uptake capacities of 2.23 g·g and 312.18 mg·g towards I vapor and I dissolved in cyclohexane, respectively, surpassing its corresponding analogue Th-UiO-67. The bipyridine units boosted the adsorption performance, and Th-BPYDC showed good reusability with high stability. Our work thus opened a new way for the synthesis of MOFs to capture radioactive iodine. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].