Adsorptive removal of Tetracycline from wastewater using platanus leaf powder modified by metal-phenolic network based on Fe(III)-Tannic acid: Low carbon and sustainable

Developing sustainable, low‐carbon technologies to remove antibiotics from wastewater is vital to reduce ecological and health risks and meet dual carbon targets of peaking and neutrality. In this work, a surface-modified Platanus leaf powder (PLP) adsorbent was fabricated via metal-phenolic network (MPN) assembly. At pH 8, Fe(III)-tannic acid (TA) coordinated MPNs self-assembled to generate a supramolecular nanocoating on PLP, yielding the Fe(III)-Tannic networks on PLP (FTN@PLP) composite. Batch adsorption studies demonstrated an impressive maximum tetracycline (TC) uptake of 118.9 mg/g. The removal performance was systematically investigated by varying the Fe/TA ratio, pH, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration, coexisting ions, and humic acid. Adsorption kinetics, isotherm modeling and characterization study revealed that TC uptake was driven by a cooperative mechanism involving electrostatic attraction, Fe 3+ complexation, and hydrogen bonding. Additionally, FTN@PLP effectively removed representative dye pollutants. When evaluated for tetracycline (TC) removal over five successive adsorption–desorption cycles, the adsorbent maintained regeneration efficiencies exceeding 80 %. Life cycle assessment (LCA) indicated that the preparation route has a low environmental impact; leveraging plant polyphenols and biomass waste provides a promising pathway for carbon-reduction and biomass valorization. This novel strategy integrates material innovation with stewardship, providing a solution for wastewater treatment under low-carbon guidelines.