Porous Metal–Organic Framework@Polymer Beads for Iodine Capture and Recovery Using a Gas‐Sparged Column

Abstract

Abstract Iodine (I 2 ) capture and recovery is an important process in many industrial practices. Conventional materials for I 2 capture include Ag 0 ‐based aerogels and zeolites and C‐based aerogels and powders, which suffer from expensive and/or inefficient recovery. Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown potential as good adsorbents for I 2 capture with high capacity, fast uptake, and good recyclability. The powder form of MOFs, however, often makes them impractical in large‐scale applications. Herein, a versatile method based on the phase inversion technique is presented to fabricate millimeter‐sized spherical MOF@polymer composite beads, and the use of these beads for I 2 capture and recovery is demonstrated. Besides preserving the crystallinity and pore accessibility of the embedded MOFs in the polymeric matrix, the beads exhibit higher capacity and faster uptake rate for I 2 in both vapor and liquid phases compared to the bulk MOF powder. In order to showcase the applicability of these beads, a gas‐sparged column is used as a proof‐of‐concept device that can efficiently capture and recover more than 99% of I 2 from the feeding solution. The beads can be recycled and reused multiple times, which in combination with their easy handling and storage highlights their superiority compared to MOF powders in adsorption applications.