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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Aesthetically Enhanced Silica Aerogel Via Incorporation of Laser Etching and Dyes
Published on: March 12, 2021
["I love the lab" research training: a cationic covalent organic framework aerogel for organic dye removal]
Yun-Meng Li1, Hong-Yi Li1, Dong-Xiao Cao1
1Research Center for Analytical Sciences,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry Education,College of Chemistry,Nankai University,Tianjin 300071,China.
Abstract:
Methyl orange (MO) is a typical water-soluble azo organic dye. It is commonly used as an acid-base indicator in basic experiments and as a common organic dye in industrial production. It has strong polluting effects on water bodies. If azo dyes are accidentally ingested, the azo bond is cleaved by azoreductase, generating highly toxic aromatic amines that pose potential carcinogenic risks. Ionic covalent organic frameworks (ICOFs) are novel materials derived from covalent organic frameworks, featuring charged structures on their frameworks and pores. ICOFs exhibit excellent adsorption performance in aqueous solutions. Their high surface area and abundant porous channels facilitate rapid diffusion of pollutants into the inner structure, enabling effective pollutant adsorption. Eggplant is a sustainable biomass material with regular vertical macropores, which can be used as a substrate. This experiment employed an in-situ solvothermal method to prepare a highly efficient adsorbent monolithic material of eggplant composite aerogel (EP@PDA-TGDha COF). It is applied to organic dye wastewater treatment. Developing this experiment as an undergraduate teaching module of "I love the laboratory" helps cultivate and enhance students' abilities in sample pretreatment, material synthesis, structural and property characterization, and practical sample analysis. Students enter the research group offline, experience the academic atmosphere, keep abreast of cutting-edge research, taking the crucial first step in their academic journey. Through the "I Love the Lab" research training program, students significantly enhance their professional knowledge, experimental skills, and research-oriented thinking abilities. It also fosters students' environmental protection awareness and enables them to apply their knowledge and skills to environmental conservation.
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