Molecularly imprinted polymers based on deep eutectic solvents as green functional monomers for selective removal of ibuprofen in the environment

The efficient removal and selective recognition of pharmaceutical residues from aquatic systems remains a critical challenge in green analytical chemistry. Here, we report magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (DES-MMIPs) synthesized using a deep eutectic solvent (DES; choline chloride/methacrylic acid) as a green functional monomer for targeted adsorption and detection of ibuprofen (IBP). Vinyl-modified Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles serve as magnetic supports in a precipitation polymerization system. The resulting material exhibits a rough surface with well-defined imprinted cavities and sufficient magnetic responsiveness (saturation magnetization = 6.29 emu·g -1 ). Under optimized conditions, DES-MMIPs achieve an IBP adsorption capacity of 77.68 mg·g -1 -1.94 times that of non-imprinted polymers-reaching equilibrium within 80 min. Adsorption follows the Langmuir model (Q max = 151.52 mg·g -1 ) and pseudo-second-order kinetics (R 2 = 0.9820), consistent with monolayer chemisorption. DES-MMIPs show high selectivity, maintain performance in the presence of coexisting ions and humic acid, and retain 96.6% capacity over five adsorption–desorption cycles. This work establishes a sustainable molecular imprinting platform based on DES monomers for efficient extraction and monitoring of trace organic pollutants in complex aqueous environments.