Musawira Iftikhar, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman, Imran Ullah Khan, Nurul Jannah Ismail, Siti Hamimah Sheikh Abdul Kadir, Muhammad Nidzhom Bin Zainol Abidin, Zaib Jahan, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Juhana Jaafar, Mukhlis A. Rahman
To effectively remove p-Cresol from blood, adsorbents with high adsorption efficiency need to be designed and developed. Due to their unique textual properties, wide surface area, and chemical stability, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted attention as promising materials for a variety of applications. However, their potential in adsorption processes, especially for removing uremic toxins like p-Cresol, remains underexplored. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) and its amine-functionalized derivative (A-ZIF-8) were synthesized in this study to evaluate their performance as p-Cresol adsorbents in aqueous solutions. To confirm the structural properties and successful amine modification of A-ZIF-8, various characterization techniques were used, such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The results revealed that A-ZIF-8 exhibited enhanced crystallinity, surface area, and pore volume compared to pristine ZIF-8. Zeta potential measurements showed a shift from − 3.47 mV for ZIF-8 to + 35 mV for A-ZIF-8, significantly improving its adsorption capacity of the negatively charged p-Cresol. Experimental Adsorption studies demonstrated that A-ZIF-8 achieved the maximum experimental adsorption of p-Cresol at 432 mg g⁻¹, substantially outperforming ZIF-8, which achieved 289 mg g⁻¹. Thermogravimetric analysis and adsorption-desorption isotherms further indicated enhanced thermal stability and microporosity in A-ZIF-8. These findings underscore the effectiveness of amine modification in enhancing the adsorption capabilities of ZIF-8, positioning A-ZIF-8 as a superior candidate for uremic toxin removal, particularly in p-Cresol adsorption. © The Author(s) 2026.
Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Skudai, 81310, Malaysia; Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensics (I-PPerForM), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Selangor, Sungai Buloh, 47000, Malaysia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; Chemical Engineering Department, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia; Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Johor Bahru, 81300, Malaysia
