Efficient and Reversible Bisphenol A Removal Study Based on Hydrophilic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers-Functionalized Semi-IPN Hydrogel

Zhipeng Chen; Yufan Zhang; Xiaole Li; Jie Zhao; Wenzheng Xie; Liming Kong; Seitkhan Azat; Qin Xu

doi:10.53941/sen.2026.100008

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), as a typical endocrine-disrupting compound, is present in water and severely threatens both ecosystems and human health. This study reports the doping of hydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) into an N-isopropylacrylamide/carboxymethyl chitosan (N/C) semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) hydrogel to yield a novel gel membrane (MIP@N/C) with exceptional adsorption performance for BPA. Experimental results revealed that MIP@N/C exhibited a maximum BPA adsorption capacity of 113.66 mg/g, with its adsorption behavior well-described by the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The ethanol-triggered solvent responsiveness of MIP@N/C facilitated its rapid elution regeneration. The material retained 99% of its initial adsorption efficiency after six cycles, and even after twelve cycles the removal efficiency remained as high as 97.73%, demonstrating outstanding regenerability. This work overcomes the limitations of traditional adsorbents, such as poor selectivity and difficulty in recovery, providing a new strategy for the efficient removal of pollutants from water.

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