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Molecular Advances in Adsorbing Materials
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Molecular Advances in Adsorbing Materials

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 743

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mounia Achak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National School of Applied Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, Avenue Jabran Khalil Jabran B.P 299-24000, El Jadida, Morocco
Interests: adsorption process; development of novel adsorbent materials; bio-based adsorbent materials; development of eco-friendly and biodegradable adsorbents; adsorbent regeneration; treatment and purification of wastewater by advanced adsorbent materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the latest molecular-level advancements in adsorbing materials, covering their synthesis, characterization, and application across various fields, such as wastewater treatment and energy. With the growing need for efficient and sustainable adsorption technologies, this Special Issue aims to highlight innovative materials and mechanisms that enhance adsorption performance, selectivity, and recyclability.

Key areas of interest in this Special Issue include the development of advanced adsorbents, such as novel porous materials, like metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and bio-based adsorbents, designed to enhance adsorption capacity and specificity. A strong emphasis is placed on the molecular-level understanding of adsorption mechanisms through computational modeling, molecular simulations, thermodynamic and kinetic studies, and structure–property relationships. Sustainable and bio-based adsorbents are also a focal point, including biomass-derived materials, green synthesis approaches, and biodegradable adsorbents for eco-friendly applications. The Special Issue further explores environmental applications, particularly the adsorption of pollutants such as heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, dyes, volatile organic compounds, and CO₂ for air and water purification. Finally, research on regeneration and reusability is encouraged, focusing on adsorbent stability, desorption mechanisms, and long-term performance optimization.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions that integrate experimental research, theoretical modeling, and simulation approaches to advance the understanding and practical implementation of adsorbing materials.

Prof. Dr. Mounia Achak
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adsorption process
  • adsorbing materials
  • bio-based adsorbents
  • regeneration and reusability
  • pollutant removal
  • wastewater treatment
  • industrial and environmental applications

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2171 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Adsorption Kinetics and Isotherms of Synthetic Dyes on Biochar Derived from Post-Coagulation Sludge
by Barbara Pieczykolan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(16), 7912; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167912 - 16 Aug 2025
Viewed by 175
Abstract
An activated biochar was produced from post-coagulation sludge (also called water treatment residuals or water treatment sludge) in the pyrolysis process at 800 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere and chemical activation using NaOH. The produced adsorption material was characterised by an SBET [...] Read more.
An activated biochar was produced from post-coagulation sludge (also called water treatment residuals or water treatment sludge) in the pyrolysis process at 800 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere and chemical activation using NaOH. The produced adsorption material was characterised by an SBET surface area of 439 m2/g, a total volume of pores of 0.301 cm3/g, and an average pore size of 1.4 nm. FTIR analysis reveals the presence of primarily C-H, C-O, N-H, C-N, and O-H groups on the activated biochar surface. The batch adsorption process was conducted for three dyes: Acid Red 18, Acid Green 16, and Reactive Blue 81. In the study, the effect of pH, contact time, adsorption kinetics, and adsorption isotherm was determined. The studies showed that, for all dyes, the highest efficiency of the process was achieved at a pH of 2. The results indicate the occurrence of a chemical adsorption process, as evidenced by the best fit to the experimental results obtained with the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the Elovich model. In the case of the adsorption isotherm, the SIPS model best describes the adsorption for Acid Red 18 and Reactive Blue 81, and the Jovanovic model describes the adsorption of Acid Green 16. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Adsorbing Materials)
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32 pages, 7515 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Adsorptive Potential of Natural Biopolymers for Olive Mill Wastewater Treatment: A Synergistic Approach Using RSM-BBD, Mixture Design, Kinetics, and Mechanistic Analysis
by Sabah Elamraoui, Nouhaila Asdiou, Rachid El kaim Billah, Mounir El Achaby, Said Kounbach, Rachid Benhida and Mounia Achak
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(16), 7738; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167738 - 11 Aug 2025
Viewed by 371
Abstract
This study evaluates the structural properties and adsorption capacities of four bio-based adsorbents, sawdust (SD), straw (ST), chicken feathers (CFs), and shrimp shells (SSs), for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal from olive mill wastewater (OMW). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Box–Behnken Design [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the structural properties and adsorption capacities of four bio-based adsorbents, sawdust (SD), straw (ST), chicken feathers (CFs), and shrimp shells (SSs), for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal from olive mill wastewater (OMW). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was applied to optimize the operational parameters, resulting in maximum COD uptake capacities of 450 mg/g (SD), 575 mg/g (ST), 700 mg/g (CFs), and 750 mg/g (SSs). Among these materials, SSs exhibited the highest COD removal efficiency of 85% under optimal conditions (pH 8, 20 g/L, 30 °C, 5 h, 111 rpm). A mixture design approach was then used to explore the synergistic effects of combining lignocellulosic (SD and ST), chitin-based (SSs), and keratin-based (CFs) adsorbents. The optimized blend (SD 10%, ST 28.9%, SS 38.3%, and CF 22.6%) achieved a COD removal efficiency of 82%, demonstrating the advantage of using mixed biopolymer systems over individual adsorbents. Adsorption mechanisms were investigated through isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Redlich–Peterson) and kinetic models (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion). Lignocellulosic adsorbents predominantly followed physisorption mechanisms, while chitin- and keratin-rich materials exhibited a combination of physisorption and chemisorption. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the spontaneous nature of the adsorption process, with SSs showing the most favorable Gibbs free energy (ΔG = −21.29 kJ/mol). A proposed mechanism for the adsorption of organic compounds onto the bio-adsorbents involves hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, π–π interactions, n–π stacking interactions, hydrophobic interactions, and van der Waals forces. These findings highlight the potential of biopolymer-based adsorbents and their optimized combinations as cost-effective and sustainable solutions for OMW treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Adsorbing Materials)
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