MOF-derived composite enables efficient reduction and rapid capture for gold recovery from e-waste leachates

• The reduction site-rich composite enabled efficient gold recovery from e-waste leachate. • Adsorption capacity for Au(III) was improved by 135 % compared to MIL-53(Al)-(OH) 2 precursor. • A superior adsorption rate with 93 % Au(III) extraction within 3 min was achieved. • A excellent selectivity for Au(III) (selectivity coefficient of 1.6 × 10 2 L g −1 ) was exhibited. • The composite enabled the recovery of high-purity gold (∼22.45 K) from e-waste leachate. The sustainable and selective recovery of gold from electronic waste (e-waste) leachate, against the backdrop of pressing environmental concerns, poses a significant technological challenge. Reduction sites-rich adsorbent has the potential to accelerate electron transfer and increase the capture efficiency in the Au(III) separation process. Herein, we reported a metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived composite named CuAl-LDH-Cu 2 O, which can increase the gold adsorbed amount by 135 % in comparison with MIL-53(Al)-(OH) 2 precursor. The CuAl-LDH-Cu 2 O also showed a more rapid capture effect compared to other reported adsorbents, achieving 93 % gold extraction within 3 min. Moreover, CuAl-LDH-Cu 2 O demonstrated exceptional selectivity in real e-waste leachate, efficiently recovering gold with a purity of 22.45 K and exhibiting excellent resistance to coexisting ions, with a selectivity coefficient of 1.6 × 10 2 L g −1 for Au(III). Meanwhile, CuAl-LDH-Cu 2 O displayed superior Au(III) adsorption performance across a broad pH range of 1.0–9.0, attributed to the reduction of Cu(I), which remains unaffected by functional group pH sensitivity. This research provides a viable strategy for the sustainable recovery of gold from complex e-waste leachate, contributing to the efficient utilization of resources.