Controlled synthesis of pentachlorophenol-imprinted polymers on the surface of magnetic graphene oxide for highly selective adsorption

A novel, well-designed magnetic graphene oxide sheet embedded with core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (MGO@MIP) was controllably synthesized via a reflux-precipitation polymerization and surface imprinting technique. The as-prepared MGO@MIP was fully characterized and the results reveal that the specific selectivity and remarkable adsorption capacity to pentachlorophenol (PCP) are closely related to the synergetic effect of hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions, which are strongly associated with the solution pH and the distribution of magnetic microspheres on the surface of GO sheets. Under the optimal conditions, i.e., pH of 4.0 and a ratio of monomers to Fe3O4 of 15, the maximum adsorption capacity and the imprinting factor (alpha) of MGO@MIP towards PCP were 789.4 mg g(-1) and 4.36, respectively. The newly synthesized MGO@MIPs has proved to be a great adsorbent for PCP in environmental water.