Composite Material that Comprised Metal-Organic Nanotubes and a Sponge as a High-Performance Adsorbent for the Extraction of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products from Environmental Water Samples

A composite material that comprised metal-organic nanotubes (MONTs) and a sponge, Cu-MONTs-sponge, was synthesized by using a rapid and convenient surfactant-assisted dip-coating method and used as a high-performance adsorbent for the solid-phase extraction of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) from environmental water samples. By adjusting the surfactant concentration, a composite material that contained metal-organic nanotubes and a macroporous 3D porous sponge was constructed. This modified sponge achieved outstanding reproducibility as an adsorbent, with the adsorption of trace or ultratrace amounts of contaminants. Moreover, this composite material was conveniently recycled and its extraction efficiency only decreased by 6.3-12.1% after 30adsorption/desorption cycles. The resulting composite exhibited excellent adsorption capacity for PPCPs, which was attributed to its unique porous structure, natural hydrophobicity, and electrostatic interactions between the metal-organic nanotubes and analyte molecules. This Cu-MONTs-sponge material is an ideal adsorbent for the extraction of trace amounts of PPCPs from environmental water samples.