Molecularly imprinted polymer for adsorption of venlafaxine, albendazole, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin in aqueous environment

ABSTRACT

In this work, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by a bulk polymerization method, characterized and parameters were optimized for adsorption of albendazole, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and venlafaxine in aqueous environment. The optimized MIP extraction parameters were adsorbent (MIP) mass 50 mg, sample pH of 9 and adsorption time of 20 min and 1 mL mixture of formic acid in water and methanol elution solvent. The adsorption experimental data fitted with the Freundlich isotherm model which indicates that the binding occurred on the heterogeneous sites and pseudo-second-order kinetic model best fitted which implied adsorption through chemisorption. The polymer selectivity was found to be in the order of albendazole > venlafaxine > norfloxacin > ciprofloxacin.

KEYWORDS:

• Molecularly imprinted polymer
• adsorption
• antibiotics
• pharmaceuticals
• reusability

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Organization for Women Scientists for Developing World (OWSD Postgraduate Fellowship) and SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) for funding this research and the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa, for access to the laboratory.

Supplementary material

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