Boronate affinity-modified magnetic β cyclodextrin polymer for shikimic acid removal from wastewater: statistical Physics and thermodynamic analysis

This study investigated the adsorption behavior of shikimic acid (SA) on a newly biosynthesized polymeric nanocomposite adsorbent (FPCD-COOH-BA), which is mild to prepare and cost-effective for wastewater treatment. Using a detailed statistical-physical model, we found that SA is physisorbed via van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. A thermodynamic analysis showed that the process was spontaneous and endothermic; the entropy evaluation indicates an increase in the system’s disorder before half saturation and a decrease after half saturation is exceeded. These results provide new insights on SA adsorption at the molecular level and highlight the importance of statistical physics in the interpretation of adsorption phenomena.