Activated carbon (AC) is the benchmark for medical detoxification, but conventional sources suffer from low porosity, poor surface chemistry, and inconsistent adsorption performance. This study explores bakery fly ash as a novel precursor for pharmaceutical-grade sorbents. We report for the first time the successful activation of bakery fly ash using synergistic KCl/KOH treatment to produce high-surface-area carbon (541 m² g⁻¹) with hierarchical porosity.

The material demonstrated superior adsorption of amitriptyline hydrochloride under simulated gastric (200 mg g⁻¹) and intestinal (240 mg g⁻¹) fluid conditions, following pseudo-first-order kinetics and Freundlich isotherm behavior. Adsorption was driven by π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and pH-dependent surface interactions. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed spontaneous, exothermic adsorption (ΔH° < –40 kJ mol⁻¹).

This work highlights a sustainable, low-cost strategy for transforming bakery waste into high-capacity sorbents for pharmaceutical detoxification. The findings open a scalable route to medical-grade activated carbon with applications in emergency drug overdose treatment.