Oriented synthesis of a cationic metal-organic framework with Al24 units for effective Cr(vi) removal.

Oriented synthesis and scalable production of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), especially for industrial applications in the energy, environment and sustainability sectors, is desirable yet challenging. Herein, the rational synthesis and reflux-based scalable production (space-time yield up to 9.0 kg m-3 day-1) of CCEG-1, an inexpensive (∼40 USD per kg) and environmentally friendly cationic Al24-cluster based MOF featuring fcu topology with terephthalate as a linker, is presented. The exceptional chemical and thermal stability as well as high porosity of CCEG-1 give it the advantage of sufficient and recoverable removal of Cr(vi) species in various scenarios with different initial concentrations and interferences. A simple fixed-bed filtration device based on CCEG-1 achieves nearly 100% Cr(vi) removal and a record-high working capacity of 10 L g-1 for Cr(vi)-containing wastewater, highlighting its promising prospects for environmental remediation.