In this study, a magnetic field was applied to deionized water to produce magnetized deionized water, which was utilized for the first time in the hydrothermal synthesis of MIL-101(Cr). The magnetized deionized water acted as a synergistic solvent, leading to the formation of a highly porous and stable metal-organic framework (MOF). Different magnetization durations were applied to the deionized water to achieve the optimal crystal structure with enhanced performance. The prepared MOF, with an appropriate surface area and meso/microporous structure, was used to adsorb ibuprofen (IBP) from an aqueous solution. Techniques including FTIR, XRD, FESEM, BET, and zeta potential were used for characterizing the adsorbent. The prepared MIL exhibited a surface area of 3257 m2 g−1 and a smooth octahedral molecular geometry when synthesized using 30 min of magnetizing deionized water. The adsorption capacity of ibuprofen by the parent MIL-101(Cr) increased from 76.67 to 92.47 mg g−1 under optimal conditions (pH = 4.5, contact time = 30 min, and adsorbent dose = 0.125 g L−1), when compared to MIL-101(Cr)-30. Under these conditions, the MIL-101(Cr) treated with 30 min magnetized water demonstrated up to a 15 % higher removal efficiency than the unmodified MIL-101(Cr), which can be attributed to its enhanced surface area and the shift in the pHpzc point resulting from the use of magnetized water during synthesis. The optimization of variables affecting the removal process was investigated using the central composite response surface method (RSM-CCD). In addition, pseudo-second-order (Ho) kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models were established with the spontaneous mechanism (ΔG < 0) of IBP on MIL-101(Cr)-30. Finally, the reusability of the adsorbent is five times due to the low amount of adsorbent (0.125 g L−1), which indicates the excellent potential of the modified adsorbent in eliminating IBP from aquatic environments.

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