High-Selective and Ultrafast Furfural Removal From Simulated Biomass Hydrolysates via a Sustainable MOF-Based...

The microbial fermentation efficiency of biomass-derived sugars into biofuels and bioplastics is severely hindered by inhibitory compounds such as furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural generated during biomass hydrolysis, highlighting the urgent need for their selective and efficient removal. Herein, we report the design and application of a metal-organic framework (MOF), MIL-53-TDC, featuring a well-defined one-dimensional pore structure that enables rapid and selective molecular sieving of furfural from pentose sugars. Comprehensive static and dynamic adsorption studies reveal an intriguing two-step adsorption mechanism. While size exclusion governs the selectivity, hydrogen bonding interactions between furfural and the pore walls facilitate accelerated mass transport. This synergy enables high-performance furfural capture with negligible pentose adsorption. MIL-53-TDC achieves a maximum furfural adsorption capacity of 424.6 mg g^{- 1} (98% removal) and ultrafast kinetics (∼90% uptake within 5 min). In dynamic breakthrough tests using simulated hydrolysates, the material exhibits complete furfural selectivity and a capacity of 202.9 mg g^{- 1}. Both experimental data and calculations confirm the dominant role of hydrogen bonding in furfural adsorption, contributing to facile regeneration and performance, significantly surpassing previously reported adsorbents. This work establishes MIL-53-TDC as a robust and regenerable adsorbent for hydrolysate purification, overcoming a key bottleneck in lignocellulosic bioconversion and advancing the sustainable production of biofuels and bioplastics.