Dual-function advanced magnetic bacterial cellulose materials: From enhanced adsorption phenomena to an unprecedented circular green catalytic strategy

With the growing emphasis on circular catalysis principles and green chemistry, addressing the dual challenge of wastewater treatment and sustainable catalysis has become increasingly critical. Although the adsorption of copper ions using magnetic biomaterials has been widely investigated, its full potential is still not fully understood. In particular, the reutilization of Cu(II)-loaded magnetic bacterial cellulose in circular green catalytic reactions remains underexplored. This study presents a novel magnetic bacterial cellulose-based material, designated as (BC-BPEM)@Fe₃O₄NPs, engineered through advanced chemical modifications to address these challenges. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, indicating chemisorption as the predominant mechanism. A key challenge addressed in this study was the efficient reuse of Cu(II)-loaded magnetic bacterial cellulose-based material. The recovered material was successfully employed as a catalyst in the synthesis of novel 1,4-disubstituted bis-1,2,3-triazoles under green conditions. Notably, the reaction achieved an impressive rate of 0.219 ± 0.006 mmol.g_cat⁻¹.min⁻¹ and a 99 % yield within 15 min, using green deep eutectic solvents (ChCl/Gly) and glutathione as a reducing agent. Remarkably, the catalyst retained its high catalytic performance over 20 cycles, maintaining yields consistently between 99 % and 97 %. This study not only emphasizes the seamless integration of adsorption and catalytic recycling but also highlights the sustainability of the approach. Environmental metrics revealed an E-factor of 0.442 kg waste/kg product, a PMI of 1.442 kg materials/kg product, and an RME of 99.83 %, reinforcing the potential of catalyst in both sustainable catalysis and environmental remediation.