Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Adsorbents for the Selective Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Wastewater: Adsorption Kinetics, Isotherms, and Thermodynamics Studies

The majority of pharmaceuticals are found in the environment as mixtures. However, a significant amount of these therapeutic compounds cannot be completely metabolized by the human body; thus, they are excreted through feces and urine and end up in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The presence of pharmaceuticals and the degree to which they can be removed during wastewater treatment are now important research topics. Despite the adoption of various alternative technologies for the treatment of wastewater, the adsorption process is still regarded as a promising method due to its high efficiency, increased simplicity, and lower costs. Recent developments in the adsorption process involve the incorporation of an artificial molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), which is a potent molecular receptor capable of selectively recognizing and removing pollutants. The MIP has advantageous characteristics, which include high affinity, predetermination, high stability, ease of preparation, and low cost. Notably, MIPs can be applied to the cleanup and preconcentration of analytes as the selective adsorbent of solid-phase extraction (SPE), magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE), and dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE). Furthermore, MIPs can be produced as composite nanomaterials by employing nanoparticles (nanoMIP). The advancements of MIPs employed as sorbent materials for quantitative assessment and purification of pharmaceuticals in environmental water have been given most of the focus. Therefore, this study not only aims to present the fundamental ideas about the application of MIPs as sorbents but also gives an overview of the considerable initiatives made in recent years to enhance the performance of MIPs. Considering this, various current approaches to the development of MIP-based extraction techniques are detailed in the present review. This review also demonstrates how kinetics, thermodynamics, and isotherm models can be used to better understand the behavior of adsorbents and the adsorption process.