Facile Recycling Strategy of Dyed Polyester Waste by Template-Based Synthesis of UiO-66 for Value-Added Transformation into Self-detoxifying Fabrics

Seokhee Chang; Soyeon Jin; Jooyoun Kim

doi:10.1021/acsomega.3c09293

Facile Recycling Strategy of Dyed Polyester Waste by Template-Based Synthesis of UiO-66 for Value-Added Transformation into Self-detoxifying Fabrics

ACS Omega. 2024 Mar 22;9(13):15074-15084. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09293. eCollection 2024 Apr 2.

Authors

Seokhee Chang¹, Soyeon Jin¹, Jooyoun Kim^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Fashion and Textiles, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
² Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) accounts for a significant portion of textile waste, and recycling strategies for this material have attracted much attention. This study proposes a facile and innovative PET recycling method applicable to environmental remediation that involves the conversion of dyed PET fabric waste into a value-added fabric. Herein, a template-based synthesis approach capable of growing a UiO-66 metal-organic framework (MOF) directly on a dyed PET fabric is reported. The advantage of this process lies in its simplicity, where the partial hydrolysis of PET followed by a zirconium chloride treatment results in the successful growth of UiO-66 on a dyed PET fabric with the concurrent removal of the dye without additional steps. The catalytic performance of the UiO-66-grown fabric was evaluated through the degradation of dimethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP), a nerve agent simulant. The fabric produced by the simple metal treatment (Zr@PET_hyd) exhibited excellent DMNP degradation performance with t_1/2 = 43.3 min and maintained functional stability after a harsh washing procedure, an outcome attributed to the surface-assisted UiO-66 growth that ensured good bonding stability. The developed process is innovative in that it uses dyed PET waste as a template for the direct growth of UiO-66, simplifying the process without compromising the catalytic functionality. This research provides an informative option for a sustainable textile recycling strategy by transforming dyed PET waste into an advanced self-detoxifying material.