The removal of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from effluent wastewater is critical because of their adverse impacts on human health and the ecosystem. In this study, we successfully fabricated a novel biopolymer-based aerogel composite by incorporating a zirconium-based metal–organic framework, UiO-66 (MOF), and sepiolite (Sep) into gelatin (Gel) to efficiently remove naproxen (NPX) and ibuprofen (IBP). The physicochemical properties of the prepared adsorbents were comprehensively characterized, as well as batch experimental studies were carried out to probe the effect of contact time, solution pH, temperature, and coexisting ions on the adsorption process. The adsorption by the 3D mesoporous aerogel (Gel-1.0MOF-Sep) followed the pseudo-second order and the Langmuir isotherm models with maximum adsorption capacities of 8.515 and 10.23 mg/g for NPX and IBP, respectively (at 20 °C and pH 7). Furthermore, central composite design (CCD) in response surface methodology (RSM) was used to assess the simultaneous interactions of independent variables, results of which suggested that the initial concentration and pH were the dominant parameters in the adsorption process. Moreover, a thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption process was exothermic (ΔH° < 0) and thermodynamically spontaneous (ΔG° < 0). Reusability studies demonstrated that the composite aerogel exhibited superior adsorption efficiencies after five successive runs, indicating its potential use in practical applications. Furthermore, the adsorption mechanisms for the pollutants were ascribed to electrostatic interactions, π–π interactions, and hydrogen bonding. The insights show that the Gel-1.0MOF-Sep aerogels are promising alternative adsorbents for the removal of NSAIDs.

从废水中去除非甾体抗炎药 (NSAID) 至关重要，因为它们对人类健康和生态系统有不利影响。在这项研究中，我们通过将锆基金属有机骨架、UiO-66 (MOF) 和海泡石 (Sep) 加入明胶 (Gel) 中，成功地制造了一种新型的生物聚合物基气凝胶复合材料，以有效去除萘普生 (NPX) 和布洛芬（IBP）。对制备的吸附剂的理化性质进行了全面表征，并通过批量实验研究了接触时间、溶液pH、温度和共存离子对吸附过程的影响。3D 介孔气凝胶（Gel- 1.0MOF-Sep) 遵循准二级和 Langmuir 等温线模型，NPX 和 IBP 的最大吸附容量分别为 8.515 和 10.23 mg/g（在 20 °C 和 pH 7 下）。此外，响应面法（RSM）中的中心复合设计（CCD）用于评估自变量的同时相互作用，结果表明初始浓度和pH是吸附过程中的主要参数。此外，热力学研究表明吸附过程是放热的（ΔH° < 0）和热力学自发的（ΔG° < 0）。可重复使用性研究表明，复合气凝胶在连续运行五次后表现出优异的吸附效率，表明其在实际应用中的潜在用途。此外，污染物的吸附机制归因于静电相互作用、π-π相互作用和氢键。研究结果表明，凝胶1.0 MOF-Sep 气凝胶是用于去除 NSAIDs 的有前途的替代吸附剂。