Adsorbent

The adsorption process, a well-known surface phenomenon, has been commonly applied for enzyme immobilization for the separation and purification of polluted water resources. The adsorption separation technique considered as one of the cheapest and most straightforward approaches for the elimination of impurities and contaminants such as ions, molecules, and atoms, from original resources, has been exponentially utilized by various industries. A comprehensive study of characteristics and fabrication routes of various adsorbents considered as the main elements of an adsorption process can help better understand the uptake mechanism of mutagenic, complex hazardous, and carcinogenic organic/inorganic materials to eradicate the incoming crisis of water scarcity. Due to the presence of plentiful and naturally available adsorbents, such as zeolites, clays, biomasses, and metal oxides and extreme need for remediation of wastewater streams, there is an urgent need for the comprehensive study of most applied adsorbents. In this chapter, we tried to highlight the most effective elements involved in an adsorption process. Moreover, we classified different types of adsorbents, with a substantial focus on low-cost adsorbents, such as activated carbons, zeolite, clay-base, microorganisms, and nanoparticles. The different synthesis methods and effects on preparation conditions and the physicochemical characteristics of the adsorbents were comprehensively reviewed. The governing mechanism of the sorptive removal of contaminants using these adsorbents was also fully established.