The presence of cadmium (Cd) in water poses significant environmental and health risks, including kidney dysfunction and 

carcinogenic effects, emphasizing the urgent need for efficient and sustainable removal technologies. There is a growing 

need for simple, rapid, and reliable strategies to detect and remove trace levels of heavy metals from water. In this study, 

MgO nanoparticles (NPs) were functionalized with benzothiazole carbamothioyl benzamide (BCB) through an in situ coprecipitation

process, during which the BCB ligand was incorporated onto the MgO surface via in situ co-precipitation to 

produce a functionalized adsorbent for Cd²⁺ remediation. The synthesized material was characterized using UV–Vis, FTIR, 

¹H/¹³C NMR, FESEM, and XRD analyses, confirming successful ligand incorporation, spherical morphology (~78 nm), 

and a cubic crystalline structure. Independent optimization experiments showed that Cd²⁺ removal was maximized at pH 

9, at 50 °C, at a contact time of 45 min, and with an adsorbent dose of 0.001 g. Adsorption isotherm analysis, based on 

equilibrium studies at varying Cd²⁺ concentrations and fitted to the linearized Langmuir model, yielded a calculated maximum

monolayer adsorption capacity of 862 mg g⁻¹. Kinetic evaluation demonstrated that the adsorption process followed 

the pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.99), indicating chemisorption governed by coordination between Cd²⁺ and the S–N 

donor sites of BCB. A dedicated investigation into multi-cycle regeneration performance is essential to fully confirm the 

real-world applicability of this material. Overall, the BCB-functionalized MgO NPs presents a promising adsorbent for 

Cd²⁺ removal, supporting ongoing efforts aligned with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12 (Responsible 

Consumption and Production) by contributing to the development of sustainable heavy-metal remediation materials.