Nanoengineered Coordination Complexes for Selective Detection and Removal of Heavy Metals from Wastewater

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems poses serious environmental and public health challenges. In the present study, nanoengineered coordination complexes (NCCs) were synthesized and evaluated for the selective detection and removal of toxic heavy metals from wastewater. The synthesized NCCs exhibited high surface area, abundant active binding sites, and excellent stability in aqueous media. Structural characterization confirmed the successful formation of nanoscale coordination frameworks with uniform morphology. The sensing performance of NCCs demonstrated remarkable selectivity toward Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions with rapid response times and low detection limits. Batch adsorption studies revealed maximum removal efficiencies of 96.8%, 94.2%, and 92.7% for Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Hg²⁺, respectively. Adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir isotherm. The synthesized NCCs retained over 90% of their adsorption capacity after five regeneration cycles. These findings demonstrate that nanoengineered coordination complexes are promising multifunctional materials for simultaneous monitoring and remediation of heavy metal-contaminated wastewater.