Core-shell ZIF-67/ZIF-8-derived sea urchin-like cobalt/nitrogen Co-doped carbon nanotube hollow frameworks for ultrahigh adsorption and catalytic activities

Developing advanced multifunctional carbon-based materials to achieve deep purification of environmental pollutants for practical environmental remediation are highly desired. Herein, we reported a novel 3D sea urchin-like hybrid architectures with Co nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in Co/N co-doped carbon nanotube supported on hollow frameworks (CoNC/CNTs), which derived from core-shell ZIF-67/ZIF-8 via epitaxial growth-pyrolysis strategy. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of 0D Co nanoparticles, 3D nitrogen doping, hierarchically hollow structures, and 1D interconnected N[sbnd]CNTs, forming a diversity of active interfaces to enhance the overall property. As expected, the resulting CoNC/CNTs exhibited ultrahigh adsorption capabilities of organic dyes, including methyl blue (8862.5 mg/g), acid fuchsin (8032.2 mg/g) and malachite green (6043.2 mg/g), respectively, which outperformed the majority of the previously reported materials, as well as superior catalytic activities toward recalcitrant pollutants in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, including bisphenol A, phenol, tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole. A series of characterization methods confirmed that chemical compositions affected the morphologies, adsorption and catalytic properties of CoNC@CNTs. Notably, CoNC/CNTs maintained good reusability and stable activity even after five cycles with negligible leaching of cobalt ions. More significantly, this work provided a new strategy for the practical applications of MOFs derived TM@N[sbnd]C composites in environmental remediation.