Upcycling waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Bottles into high-performance aluminum based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for sustainable antibiotic removal from water

The accumulation of plastic waste and the persistence of pharmaceutical contaminants in water represent two converging environmental crises of the 21st century. Here, we report a sustainable strategy that addresses both challenges simultaneously by upcycling post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into an Aluminum based metal organic framework (Al-DST) for efficient antibiotic removal. Disodium terephthalate (DST), derived directly from PET hydrolysis, served as a green linker precursor for the one step aqueous synthesis of Al-DST under ambient conditions, eliminating toxic solvents and high-temperature processing. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization confirmed a highly crystalline and thermally stable framework incorporating PET derived terephthalate linkers. The resulting MOF exhibited a remarkable tetracycline adsorption capacity of 355.9 mg g⁻¹, reaching equilibrium within 120 min, with adsorption governed by pseudo-second-order kinetics. Isotherm and thermodynamic analyses revealed monolayer, spontaneous, and exothermic uptake, driven by multisite coordination-like-intearctions between Al³⁺ centers and tetracycline functional groups, reinforced by π–π stacking and hydrogen bonding. The Al-DST adsorbent maintained structural integrity over multiple cycles, highlighting its robustness and reusability. This work introduces a circular-economy approach that converts plastic waste into a value-added, high-performance adsorbent for antibiotic polluted water, offering a scalable pathway toward sustainable water purification technologies.