ABSTRACT
Mono-(Fe) and bimetallic Cox-Fe1-x-MOF with different Co and Fe contents was successfully synthesized by the solvothermal method. The structural properties of the prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed the successful formation of mono and mixed Cox-Fe1-x-MOF. Also, the results of TEM displayed that the particle structure of Cox-Fe1-x-MOF changed to octahedral after the addition of cobalt. The surface acidity results illustrated that the samples showed both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites, and Cox-Fe1-x-MOF possessed more surface acidity than Fe-MOF. The catalytic performance of the prepared samples was tested by synthesis of 14-phenyl-14H-dibenzo [a, j] xanthene (xanthene), and bimetallic Cox-Fe1-x-MOF showed higher activity compared to monometallic Fe-MOF. The sample with Co0.50-Fe0.50-MOF gave the highest yield of xanthene with 90.2%. In addition, the prepared samples were used for removal of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions from the aqueous solution. The sample with Co0.50-Fe0.50-MOF showed the highest removal efficiency compared with mono- and other bimetallic samples. The results illustrated that the addition of Co to Fe enhanced the structural properties, acidity, and catalytic performance of the prepared samples due to the synergistic effect between Fe and Co ions. According to the obtained results, the prepared samples showed great potentials for the synthesis of pharmacologically active compounds and environmental protection.
