Basil seeds loaded with MOFs as an eco-friendly and sustainable adsorbent for efficient removal of hazardous organic pollutants from water

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have the potential to eliminate organic contaminants from water due to their salient features. Unfortunately, the synthesis of MOFs in powdered forms, and the issues related to separation leading to the release of metal ions, are highly inefficient methods for water treatment. Therefore, it remains crucial to overcome such drawbacks and process MOFs into specially designed structures for real-time applications. Concerning this, we report a novel, facile, and eco-friendly strategy of loading MOF into basil seeds for the adsorption of organic pollutants from water. Herein, the MOF particles bind to the mucilage/fibre by strong electrostatic interactions. Consequently, the composite beads exhibit good cationic dye adsorption, with adsorption efficiencies of over 95 %. The adsorption results align well with the pseudo-first-order and Langmuir isotherm models. Moreover, these composite beads exhibit stability even in harsh conditions and saline solutions. Notably, they demonstrate exceptional dye removal (>95 %) at pH 5–8, which corresponds to the region at which the water is significantly consumed. Considering real-time applications, the composite beads efficiently adsorb industrial waste (>95 % removal). Impressively, the composite can be reused for up to 5 cycles and the entire material, being a biopolymer composite, makes the material eco-friendly, offering a new stage for organic decontamination.