Methylene blue (MB), a common cationic dye, poses environmental and health risks due to its persistence in industrial effluents. In this study, cellulose-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized from oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla) seed shell waste, using MB as a template. Non-imprinted polymer (NIP) was prepared as control. The materials were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and XRD, which confirmed successful polymerization and the presence of template-specific binding cavities in MIP. Batch adsorption experiments assessed the effects of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and temperature. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data were best fitted to the Freundlich isotherm, indicating heterogeneous surface binding. The maximum adsorption capacity of the MIP was 14.93 mg g-1, compared with 10.26 mg g-1 for the NIP. Thermodynamic analysis showed the process was spontaneous and exothermic. Selectivity studies demonstrated strong molecular recognition of MB, with an imprinting factor of 3.37 and selectivity factors of 3.25 (MB/indigo carmine) and 2.89 (MB/fuchsin basic). These findings highlight that agro-waste valorization into functional MIPs provides an efficient and low-cost adsorbent with enhanced affinity and selectivity for dye removal. The study contributes to sustainable wastewater management by combining molecular imprinting with biomass utilization, thereby supporting circular economy goals. Future work should investigate regeneration, scale-up, and application in continuous-flow systems for practical deployment.
| Published in | American Journal of Physical Chemistry (Volume 14, Issue 4) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13 |
| Page(s) | 110-124 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Methylene Blue, Molecularly Imprinted Polymers, Cellulose, Oil Bean Shell, Agro-Waste Valorization, Wastewater Treatment
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APA Style
Okafor, C. E., Osuagwu, C. C., Chidozie, E., Okorocha, N. J., Onyeakazi, C. C., et al. (2025). Selective Removal of Methylene Blue Using Cellulose-Based Imprinted Polymers from Agro-Waste. American Journal of Physical Chemistry, 14(4), 110-124. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13
ACS Style
Okafor, C. E.; Osuagwu, C. C.; Chidozie, E.; Okorocha, N. J.; Onyeakazi, C. C., et al. Selective Removal of Methylene Blue Using Cellulose-Based Imprinted Polymers from Agro-Waste. Am. J. Phys. Chem. 2025, 14(4), 110-124. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13,
author = {Chinyere Emmanuella Okafor and Collins Chinonso Osuagwu and Ekene Chidozie and Nnaemeka John Okorocha and Cynthia Chimaobi Onyeakazi and Obi Justina Nnenna and Anyiam Chiemelie Joel and Robert Enenmuo},
title = {Selective Removal of Methylene Blue Using Cellulose-Based Imprinted Polymers from Agro-Waste},
journal = {American Journal of Physical Chemistry},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {110-124},
doi = {10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpc.20251404.13},
abstract = {Methylene blue (MB), a common cationic dye, poses environmental and health risks due to its persistence in industrial effluents. In this study, cellulose-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized from oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla) seed shell waste, using MB as a template. Non-imprinted polymer (NIP) was prepared as control. The materials were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and XRD, which confirmed successful polymerization and the presence of template-specific binding cavities in MIP. Batch adsorption experiments assessed the effects of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and temperature. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data were best fitted to the Freundlich isotherm, indicating heterogeneous surface binding. The maximum adsorption capacity of the MIP was 14.93 mg g-1, compared with 10.26 mg g-1 for the NIP. Thermodynamic analysis showed the process was spontaneous and exothermic. Selectivity studies demonstrated strong molecular recognition of MB, with an imprinting factor of 3.37 and selectivity factors of 3.25 (MB/indigo carmine) and 2.89 (MB/fuchsin basic). These findings highlight that agro-waste valorization into functional MIPs provides an efficient and low-cost adsorbent with enhanced affinity and selectivity for dye removal. The study contributes to sustainable wastewater management by combining molecular imprinting with biomass utilization, thereby supporting circular economy goals. Future work should investigate regeneration, scale-up, and application in continuous-flow systems for practical deployment.},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Selective Removal of Methylene Blue Using Cellulose-Based Imprinted Polymers from Agro-Waste AU - Chinyere Emmanuella Okafor AU - Collins Chinonso Osuagwu AU - Ekene Chidozie AU - Nnaemeka John Okorocha AU - Cynthia Chimaobi Onyeakazi AU - Obi Justina Nnenna AU - Anyiam Chiemelie Joel AU - Robert Enenmuo Y1 - 2025/12/26 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13 DO - 10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13 T2 - American Journal of Physical Chemistry JF - American Journal of Physical Chemistry JO - American Journal of Physical Chemistry SP - 110 EP - 124 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2327-2449 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpc.20251404.13 AB - Methylene blue (MB), a common cationic dye, poses environmental and health risks due to its persistence in industrial effluents. In this study, cellulose-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized from oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla) seed shell waste, using MB as a template. Non-imprinted polymer (NIP) was prepared as control. The materials were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and XRD, which confirmed successful polymerization and the presence of template-specific binding cavities in MIP. Batch adsorption experiments assessed the effects of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and temperature. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data were best fitted to the Freundlich isotherm, indicating heterogeneous surface binding. The maximum adsorption capacity of the MIP was 14.93 mg g-1, compared with 10.26 mg g-1 for the NIP. Thermodynamic analysis showed the process was spontaneous and exothermic. Selectivity studies demonstrated strong molecular recognition of MB, with an imprinting factor of 3.37 and selectivity factors of 3.25 (MB/indigo carmine) and 2.89 (MB/fuchsin basic). These findings highlight that agro-waste valorization into functional MIPs provides an efficient and low-cost adsorbent with enhanced affinity and selectivity for dye removal. The study contributes to sustainable wastewater management by combining molecular imprinting with biomass utilization, thereby supporting circular economy goals. Future work should investigate regeneration, scale-up, and application in continuous-flow systems for practical deployment. VL - 14 IS - 4 ER -
Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Nigeria
Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Nigeria
Department of Chemistry, Admiralty University of Nigeria, Ibusa, Nigeria
Department of Chemistry, Legacy University, Okija, Nigeria
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