Tuning the pore structure of templated mesoporous poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) particles toward diclofenac removal

The increasing demand and implementation of pharmaceutics poses severe risk to different aquatic species as detectable contaminant in almost every surface water worldwide. Diclofenac (DCF) as one of the most common used analgesics was investigated as contaminant to be removed by adsorption onto nanoporous poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (PMF) particles featuring a very high amount of nitrogen functionalities. To achieve a high specific surface area (up to 416 m²/g) and a tunable pore system by hard templating, four different SiO₂ nanoparticles were used as template. Differences in the pore formation and achieved pore structure were elucidated. For the first time, the adsorption of DCF onto PMF was tested. In batch adsorption experiments, impactful adsorption capacities as high as 76 μmol/g were achieved and complete removal at initial concentrations of 2 mg/L DCF. Differences in the connectivity and the micropore structure were decisive for uptake in low concentrations and the achieved adsorption capacity, respectively. As the presented PMF particles can be easily synthesized with the monomers formaldehyde and melamine combined with colloidal silica as sacrificial template and water as green solvent, this material presents a viable adsorbent for the removal of DCF at a larger scale. Our study further indicates a high potential for the removal of other pharmaceuticals.