CuS-MIL-53(Fe) Framework as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for the removal of organic contaminants

Authors: SUT, NAYANA - Nowgong College; DEURI, DEEPAK JYOTI - Nowgong College; BRAHMA, NILOTPAL KUMAR - Nowgong College; HAZARIKA, SWAPNALI - Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research (CSIR); KALITA, DHRUBA JYOTI - Gauhati University; BARMAN, BANASHMITA - Gauhati University; Sharma, Brajendra; KIM, JAEMIN - University Of Illinois; GOGOI, PARIKSHIT - Nowgong College

Submitted to: Langmuir
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/4/2025
Publication Date: 8/9/2025
Citation: Sut, N., Deuri, D., Brahma, N., Hazarika, S., Kalita, D., Barman, B., Sharma, B.K., Kim, J., Gogoi, P. 2025. CuS-MIL-53(Fe) Framework as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for the removal of organic contaminants. Langmuir. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c02020.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c02020

Interpretive Summary: A variety of organic pollutants, like pesticides, herbicides, forever chemicals, pharmaceutical and personal care products, etc., are present in agricultural run-off and wastewater generated in rural areas. These are often harmful and highly toxic to humans, as they often exhibit harmful health effects, including the potential to cause cancer, even at minimal levels. Therefore, their destruction has emerged as an urgent need due to their environmental issues. Efficient remediation processes are required that are both cost-effective and eco-friendly. Advanced oxidation processes are highly effective techniques for addressing water pollution. In the present work, a new catalyst containing a metal-organic framework and copper sulfide has shown synergistically enhanced activity towards organic contaminant degradation and stability compared to either used alone. The activity, stability, and mechanism of degradation using the new catalyst are studied. This approach has the potential to be used for the treatment of biomass conversion derived aqueous byproducts and the destruction of organic pollutants typically encountered in agricultural applications and rural areas.

Technical Abstract: Dyes from textile industries have been polluting water bodies, raising concerns about water pollution and creating a need for efficient remediation processes. MIL-53(Fe), a metal-organic framework (MOF), and CuS, a metal chalcogenide is capable of degrading dyes but has relatively low catalytic efficiency in Fenton reactions. In this study, we designed a CuS-MIL-53(Fe) framework via a solvothermal method as a Fenton catalyst to take advantage of both CuS and MIL-53(Fe) to enhance catalytic activity. The CuS-MIL-53(Fe) composite has a rod-like structure. MIL-53(Fe) in combination with CuS resulted in enhanced properties compared to the individual components. The composite also has improved stability and catalytic activity due to the synergy between the two materials. The prepared composite demonstrated improved Fenton activity, effectively degrading methylene blue (MB), methyl violet (MV), and a mixture of dyes (MB+MV) compared to pristine MIL-53(Fe), even without light irradiation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and DFT study revealed the charge transfer pathway from CuS to MIL-53(Fe) at the interface. The Fenton degradation mechanism was proposed based on a scavenger study. The CuS-MIL-53(Fe) composite was reused for at least five cycles without significantly decreasing catalytic efficiency. Overall, this study provides insights into the development of new Fenton catalysts and their application in environmental remediation.