• • TAPT-TNV retains structural integrity after immersion in 12 M HCl and 6 M HNO3, overcoming the acid-lability of conventional imine-linked COFs and enabling operation in harsh leaching environments.
• • Gold adsorption capacity reaches 1835.5 mg g−1 at pH 1, with equilibrium achieved within 30 minutes, outperforming many reported adsorbents in both capacity and kinetics.
• • In real e-waste leachate, TAPT-TNV recovers 99.42% of gold, demonstrating high selectivity even in the presence of competing ions like Fe3+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+.
• • The adsorption mechanism combines anion exchange (Cl− ↔ AuCl4−) and chemical reduction by triazine units, offering a dual pathway for efficient gold sequestration.