Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs), such as pharmaceutical compounds, are of growing environmental concern, and there is a need to develop new materials and technologies for their efficient removal. Here we developed a highly porous and stable zirconium–ellagate framework, denoted SU-102, which was used to remove EOCs from water, including real municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent. SU-102 adsorbs cationic EOCs with particularly high efficiencies, and of the 17 pharmaceutical EOCs detected in wastewater treatment plant effluent, all 9 cationic species were removed with efficiencies of at least 79.0–99.6%, emphasizing the importance of framework charge on selectivity. As a second mechanism of EOC removal, SU-102 photodegraded the antibiotic sulphamethazine under visible light. SU-102 is synthesized from ellagic acid, an edible polyphenol building unit, highlighting the possibility of creating stable high-performance multi-functional materials from sustainably sourced plant-based components.

The increasing presence of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in consumer products may be having a dramatic impact in aquatic environments. The evaluation of ZnO NP toxicity represents a great challenge. This study aimed at evaluating the cytotoxic effect of micro- and nanosized ZnO in a fish and a mammalian hepatoma cell line. A detailed characterisation of the particles in exposure media showed that ZnO NPs formed large aggregates. ZnO cytotoxicity was evaluated with a battery of in vitro assays including LUCS, a new approach based on DNA alteration measurements. In fish cells, ZnO NP aggregates contributed substantially to the cytotoxic effects whereas toxicity in the human cells appeared to be mainly produced by the dissolved fraction. ROS production did not contribute to the observed cytotoxicity. This work also showed that measuring concentrations of NPs is essential to understand the mechanisms underlying their toxicity.

Pt impregnated on a Sn-beta catalyst results in a very promising catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, compared to the PtSn co-impregnated beta catalysts. Framework tin ions in the Sn-beta sample stabilize the nucleation of platinum nanoparticles inside the zeolite channel. These Pt⁰–Sn⁴⁺ sites, which are only observed in the Pt/Sn-beta catalyst, have been shown to strongly activate the carbonyl group enhancing the hydrogenation rate of the CO bond.