Feasibility Study on the Adsorption and Removal of Tartrazine From Saffron Using a Metal-Organic Framework With Cu-Single-Atom Catalyst (Cu-Sa@Mof) Publisher



Shariatifar N ; Salehi A
Source: Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization Published:2026

Abstract

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world and is highly susceptible to adulteration, frequently using tartrazine as an adulterant. Given some of the possible adverse impacts associated with the consumption of tartrazine, proper methods for its detection and removal should be developed. In this study, a novel metal-organic framework comprising Cu single atoms (Cu-SA@MOF) was synthesized and used to examine the adsorption and removal of tartrazine from saffron. Characterization of the nanocomposite was performed via BET, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, and TGA instruments. The analyses confirmed its high surface area (877.38 ± 5.81 m²/g), mesoporous structure, and remarkable thermal stability (up to 800 °C). Adsorption experiments were conducted under optimal conditions of pH = 5, sorbent dosage = 15 mg, contact time = 6 min, and tartrazine concentration of 40 mg/L. The adsorption behavior followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, indicating a maximum adsorption capacity of 118.71 mg/g. The Cu-SA@MOF nanocomposite showed high selectivity toward tartrazine compared to other dyes, which can be attributed to its porous structure and single-atom active sites. The present study demonstrates the use of Cu-SA@MOF as a sustainable sorbent for the detection and removal of tartrazine from saffron samples. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.