Thermo-Responsive Molecularly Imprinted Hydrogels for Selective Adsorption and Controlled Release of Phenol From Aqueous Solution

In this study, thermo-responsive molecularly imprinted hydrogels (T-MIHs) were developed as an effective potential adsorbent for selectively adsorption phenol from wastewater. During the process, N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAm) was used as thermal responsive monomer. The obtained materials were characterized in detail by fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). A series of static adsorption studies were performed to investigate the kinetics, specific adsorption equilibrium, and selective recognition ability of phenol. Reversible adsorption and release of phenol were realized by changing temperatures. Three type of phenols, namely 3-chlorophenols (3-CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) were selected as model analytes to evaluate the selective recognition performance of T-MIHs. The T-MIHs have good selectivity, temperature response, and reusability, making them ideal in applying in the controlled separation and release of phenol pollutants.