Selective\nRemoval of Highly Toxic Selenite by a Biobased\nZirconium-Polyphenolic Supramolecular Gel

The green and facile biobased functional\nmaterials have\nattracted\ngreat attention due to the promising potential to deal with the water\npollution of toxic selenium ions that act as a serious threat to human\nhealth and the ecological environment. The development of cheap and\neco-friendly approaches to remove SeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2–</sup> is of great significance for the safety of drinking water. However,\nthere are some disadvantages in most of the employed methods, such\nas poor removal capability, high cost, and unsustainability. In this\npaper, a novel zirconium-based metal polyphenol gel (MOGs, Zr-GA)\nwas synthesized by using tea polyphenol-derived gallic acid (GA) as\nligands to selectively capture SeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2–</sup> anions from aqueous solutions with ultrahigh adsorption capacity\n(119.5 mg g<sup>–1</sup>). As a natural product, the adoption\nof GA aligns well with the sustainable demand, making it suitable\nfor a wide range of application fields. In addition, the adsorbent\ncan work stably in a wide pH range (2–11) and exhibits excellent\nselectivity for SeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2–</sup> removal. This\nwork develops an efficient adsorption material by a simple synthesis\nmethod based on a natural product.