L-Proline-Based Multifunctional Gel for Sustainable Wastewater Remediation

The escalating release of toxic organic dyes into aquatic systems poses severe environmental and health risks, necessitating the development of efficient and eco-friendly adsorbents for wastewater remediation. In this work, we report a unique amino acid-derived cross-linked gel, synthesized from methacryloyl-L-proline (MA-Pro) and N, N -dimethylacrylamide (DMA) monomers, which exhibits a unique combination of efficient pollutant adsorption (>95%), self-healing (∼93%), and adhesive properties. The MA-Pro/DMA gel leverages its −COOH groups in deprotonated −COO − form for strong electrostatic interactions with cationic dyes such as methylene blue (MB), while multiple hydrogen-bonding sites (e.g., amide functionalities) facilitate the efficient binding of anionic dyes such as eosin B (EB). Emission spectroscopy confirmed adsorption as the dominant removal mechanism, with no detectable spectral shifts, indicating the chemical integrity of the dyes post-adsorption. The gel demonstrated high adsorption capacities of >95% (55.84 mg g −1 ) for MB and 97% (63.55 mg g −1 ) for EB. This multifunctional, amino acid-based gel platform represents a sustainable and versatile solution for organic pollutant removal, bridging green chemistry principles with advanced functional material design.