Moroccan Bentonite as a Sustainable Adsorbent: Preparation, Purification, Na‐Activation, and Structure–Property Relationships for Organic Pollutant Remediation

Abstract This study investigates the structural and functional enhancement of a Moroccan bentonite sourced from Trebia (Nador region) through purification and sodium activation (Na‐exchange) processes, aiming to improve its efficiency as a sustainable adsorbent for organic pollutant remediation. The raw (RB), purified (PB), and Na‐activated (AB) samples were characterized using complementary techniques including XRD, FTIR, SEM‐EDX, and BET analysis to establish structure–property relationships. The purification step effectively removed quartz and other impurities, while Na‐exchange increased cation homogeneity and swelling capacity, confirming the formation of Na‐montmorillonite. The adsorption performance of the prepared clays was evaluated using aminopyralid as a model pesticide and olive mill wastewater (OMW) as a representative agro‐industrial effluent. Experimental data fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, together with kinetic modeling, indicated that adsorption was governed by chemisorption and pore diffusion mechanisms. The materials exhibited high removal efficiencies for organic contaminants and maintained over 80% of their capacity after multiple regeneration cycles. Overall, the findings demonstrate that Moroccan bentonite, after appropriate purification and Na‐activation, can serve as a cost‐effective and environmentally sustainable sorbent for treating complex organic effluents, highlighting its potential in large‐scale wastewater remediation and circular economy applications.