Progressive trends in heavy metal ions and dyes adsorption using silk fibroin composites

Thriving industrialization for human lifestyle headway has seeded the roots of water intoxication with harmful and hazardous toxic metal ions and dyes, which may ingress into food chains and become homicidal or mutation causing for creatures. The degummed functionalized silk fibroin composites with different biomaterials and synthetic materials are able to show adsorption efficiencies equivalent to 52.5%, 90%, 81.1%, 93.75%, 84.2%, and 98.9% for chromium, copper, cadmium, lead, thorium, and uranium ions, respectively, and adsorption capacity of 88.5 mg/g, 74.63 mg/g, 76.34 mg/g, and 72 mg/L for acid yellow 11, naphthol orange, direct orange S, and methylene blue, respectively, which make them desirable solution for water toxicants removal. This review is intended to describe the ability of silk fibroins to adsorb and abolish toxic heavy metal ions and dyes from water reservoirs, thus, providing a way to step toward water sanitation and wholesome living. Graphical abstract.