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Exploring the interaction of high-performance triazine-based porous organic polymers with antibiotics and carbon dioxide
Authors: Matias, P.M.C; Nunes, S.C.C.; Gil, J.M.; Ferreira, M.J.; Pais, A.A.C.C.; Murtinho, D.; Valente, A.J.M.
Ref.: Chem. Eng. J. 526, 171078 (2025)
Abstract: Antibiotic contamination, antimicrobial resistance and rising CO2 emissions represent urgent global crises demanding disruptive materials solutions. This study reports two novel multifunctional porous organic polymers (amine-linked T-POP4 and imine-linked IT-POP1), synthesized through simple, scalable Schiff-base polycondensation reactions, for a versatile approach integrating antibiotic adsorption with efficient CO2 removal. These highly stable materials exhibit low density, hierarchical meso-macro porosity, positive surface charge up to pH = 8-10, and particle sizes from 170 nm (T-POP4) to over 2000 nm (IT-POP1). Firstly, monocomponent adsorption assays revealed that IT-POP1 achieved up to 96 % removal of sulfamethazine (SMT) and maximum adsorption capacity of (0.56 +/- 0.05) mmol g(-1), surpassing T-POP4 (<= 91 % and (0.34 +/- 0.02) mmol g(-1)), with equilibrium being reached within 200 min for both materials. Next, competitive heptacomponent adsorption was assessed, showing that IT-POP1 efficiently removed a mixture of seven antibiotics at mu M level, while both polymers exhibited high selectivity toward sulfonamide antibiotics. Strong activity over five reuse cycles and in wastewater matrices was proved, confirming practical and real-world applicability of the materials. Molecular dynamics simulations were further applied to understand mechanisms guiding adsorption, revealing that IT-POP1´s rigid, large-pore structure enhances van der Waals and polar interactions, promoting multilayer antibiotic adsorption and outperforming other POPs. Conversely, T-POP4, with greater porosity, surface area and amine density, showed superior CO2 capture via a BET-type multilayer physical adsorption mechanism. Overall, this work introduces dual-function POPs that provide an integrated, tunable, and scalable solution for simultaneously tackling antibiotic and CO2 pollution, advancing next-generation multifunctional adsorbents.
