Abstract: | A new chitosan molecular imprinted adsorbent obtained by immobilization of nano‐TiO2 on the adsorbent surface (surface‐imprinted adsorbent with nano‐TiO2) was prepared. Based on photocatalytic reaction and the surface molecular imprinting technology, this new kind of surface‐imprinted adsorbent with immobilization of nano‐TiO2 can not only adsorb template metal ions but can also degrade organic pollutants. The results showed that, after the nano‐TiO2 was immobilized on the adsorbent surface, the adsorption ability for the imprinted ion (Ni2+) of this new imprinted adsorbent immobilized with nano‐TiO2 was not affected, but the degradation ability for p‐nitrophenol (PNP) of the surface‐imprinted adsorbent with nano‐TiO2 increased three‐fold compared with that of the surface‐imprinted adsorbent without nano‐TiO2, from 23.8 to 76.1% (at an initial PNP concentration of 20 mg·dm?3). The optimal TiO2 concentration in the adsorbent preparation was 0.025 g·TiO2 g?1 adsorbent. The removal capacity for PNP reached 60.25 mg·g?1 (at 400 mg·dm?3 initial PNP concentration) under UV irradiation. The surface‐imprinted adsorbent with nano‐TiO2 can be reused for at least five cycles without decreasing the removal ability for PNP and the imprinted ion (Ni2+). Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry |