Lignin-Based Adsorption Techniques for Environmental Remediation
Summary
Lignin, a highly abundant aromatic biopolymer derived from plant biomass and industrial by-products, has emerged as a versatile precursor for the design of sustainable adsorbents. Its rich array of phenolic and aliphatic hydroxyl groups enables facile chemical modification and cross-linking, yielding materials with tailored porosity, surface charge and functional sites. Diverse formats—including hydrogels, cryogels, magnetic nanoparticles and composite beads—have been engineered to target dyes, heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues. Key mechanisms of pollutant uptake involve electrostatic attraction, π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding and metal–ligand chelation. The intrinsic renewability and low cost of lignin, coupled with high adsorption capacities and robust recyclability, position these materials as compelling alternatives to conventional activated carbons. Ongoing efforts focus on optimising lignin structural features, scale-up of fabrication processes and integration into circular economic models for water treatment and resource recovery.
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Lignin-Based Adsorption Techniques for Environmental Remediation publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in lignin-based adsorption techniques for environmental remediation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Adsorption capacity: Maximum mass of pollutant captured per unit mass of adsorbent, typically expressed in mg g⁻¹.
Langmuir isotherm: Model describing adsorption onto a uniform surface forming a single molecular layer with finite binding sites.
Pseudo-second-order kinetics: Kinetic model assuming the adsorption rate is proportional to the square of available binding sites, often indicative of chemisorption.
Chemisorption: Adsorption process involving the formation of strong chemical bonds between adsorbent and adsorbate.
Hydrogel: Hydrophilic polymer network capable of absorbing and retaining large volumes of water within its structure.
Cryogel: Polymer network formed under frozen conditions, characterised by interconnected macropores generated during freeze-drying.
π-π interactions: Noncovalent stacking between aromatic rings that enhances the binding of aromatic pollutants to the adsorbent.
References
- Innovative construction of amine-functionalized lignin-based hydrogel for ultrafast and selective dye remediation. Chemical Engineering Journal (2024).
- Lignin nanoparticle-decorated nanocellulose cryogels as adsorbents for pharmaceutical pollutants. Journal of Environmental Management (2023).
- Design, Synthesis and Adsorption Evaluation of Bio-Based Lignin/Chitosan Beads for Congo Red Removal. Materials (2022).
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