Abstract
Bacterial cellulose (BC) composites attained elevated application areas owing to the distinguished physical properties offered by this sustainable polymer. The uncontrolled release of isotopes into aquatic systems through diverse industrial effluents constitutes a pressing environmental concern, necessitating the development of advanced functional materials engineered with superior properties and sustainable nature to efficiently capture and immobilize these isotopes, thereby mitigating ecological risks and safeguarding public health. In this study, one-pot in situ route was utilized to synthesize a nanocomposite composed of bacterial cellulose/graphene/bimetallic copper-magnesium metal-organic framework (BC/Gr/Cu-Mg MOF). The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized for its structural properties by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller Method (BET) for determining surface area. The results proved the synthesis of the Gr/Cu-Mg MOF successfully around the BC nanofibers. The BC/Gr/Cu-Mg MOF was initially inspected for its sorption ability to Zr(IV), Y(III), and Sr(II) utilizing a multi-component system. The results indicated that the nanocomposite has the potential for the selective sorption and separation of these metal ions. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated empirical adsorption capacities of 178.05, 50.67, and 7.275 mg/g for Zr(IV), Y(III), and Sr(II), respectively. The equilibrium data were well described by the Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that the sorption of Zr(4+), Y(3+) and Sr(2+) by the BC/Gr/Cu-Mg MOF is endothermic and occurs spontaneously. These outcomes manifested the feasibility of both the one-pot synthesis strategy, and the sorption capability of the examined green nanocomposite as well.