Waste-derived sorbents in analytical extraction processes: A review

Abstract

Alongside the advancement of analytical extraction methods, analytical chemists have focused their efforts on developing sorbents that adhere to the tenets of green analytical chemistry. Waste-derived sorbents (WDSs) are green, low-priced, and abundant materials with distinguished properties such as facile functionalization and modification, as well as good chemical stability and biocompatibility. WDSs enable the adsorption of various organic molecules through mechanisms including hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, hydrophilic interactions, and π-π stacking. Hence, WDSs and their composite/modified materials not only can overcome the drawbacks of conventional sorbents and provide novel extracting materials but also inspire the improvement of extraction processes. Therefore, the development of WDSs brings new vigor to extraction technology. This article presents recent advances and progress in applying WDSs as sorbents over the period 2020–2025. In this context: (i) WDSs and their properties will be investigated; (ii) different modified/functionalized WDSs will also be discussed; (iii) it will cover the application of WDSs in solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction techniques; (iv) the potential mechanisms for the extraction of diverse analytes from different samples utilizing WDSs will be examined and discussed; and (v) current trends and issues of WDSs as extraction materials will be analyzed, and prospects will be projected. This article aims to offer insights and perspectives that enhance the understanding of these intriguing materials, focusing on their properties and their present and future roles in analyte extraction techniques.