OICC Press Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry 2193-8865 12 1 (February 2022) 2021 04 21 Rapid removal and mechanism investigation of low-concentration phosphate from wastewater by CuFe2O4/MIL-101(Fe) composite 10.1007/s40097-021-00406-9 EN Qian Liu School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Shanshan Lin School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Sara Khan School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Yongjie Zhao School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Qing Guan School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Zhi Geng School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Yingna Guo School of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130024, CN Lei Chen School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Xia Yang School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun130117, CN Journal Article 2021 04 21 Abstract Developing easily separable materials for efficient treatment of low-concentration phosphate which causes eutrophication of water bodies are full of challenges. A magnetic CuFe 2 O 4 /MIL-101(Fe) composite composed of hollow spheres CuFe 2 O 4 and octahedrons MIL-101(Fe) was first fabricated via a facile solvothermal approach. CuFe 2 O 4 /MIL-101(Fe) (1.0 g·L −1 ) exhibited above 88.4% adsorption efficiency for low-concentration phosphate (5.0 mg·L −1 ) removal, over a wide pH ranging 2–12 at 293 K. Phosphate adsorption was a spontaneous endothermic process, in good association with Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The XPS and FT-IR analysis elucidated that electrostatic interaction and coordination exchange were main mechanisms. In addition, after four cycles, CuFe 2 O 4 /MIL-101(Fe) displayed 75.0% adsorption of phosphate, by treatment with external magnetic field separated and 0.1 mol·L –1 NaOH desorbed. Therefore, CuFe 2 O 4 /MIL-101(Fe) exhibited high selectivity and recycling for removing phosphate from wastewater. Graphic abstract