Epoxy-Based Ion-Exchange Materials for Water Treatment and Resource Recovery: A Critical Review of Structure–Performance Relationships and Practical Limitations
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Engineering Disciplines and Good Practices, School of Pharmacy, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty 050044, Kazakhstan
- 2Department of Chemistry, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
- 3Laboratory of Ion Exchange Resins and Membranes, Institute of Chemical Sciences Named After A.B. Bekturov, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
- 4Department of Chemistry, Chemical Technology and Ecology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Chemical Technologies, Almaty Technological University, Furkat Street 348/4, Almaty 050061, Kazakhstan
Abstract
Epoxy- and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-based polymers offer versatile platforms for ion exchange, contaminant removal, and resource recovery. However, their reported adsorption capacities do not always reflect the number of functional groups that remain accessible and effective under practical treatment conditions. This review critically evaluates the relationships among polymer architecture, functionalization chemistry, binding mechanisms, mass transfer, and operational performance. Particular attention is given to the distinction between theoretical, total, accessible, and operational capacities. The literature indicates that increasing functional-group density does not necessarily improve adsorption performance because crosslinking, limited swelling, pore accessibility, and steric hindrance can restrict ion transport and site utilization. Mechanistic interpretations also remain uncertain in many studies, as ion exchange, coordination, and chemisorption are frequently inferred from equilibrium or kinetic model fitting without sufficient counter-ion balance or direct spectroscopic evidence. Furthermore, adsorption performance is predominantly evaluated in single-solute laboratory systems, while systematic comparisons under competitive-ion conditions, authentic water matrices, and continuous-flow operation remain limited. Regeneration studies often demonstrate short-term capacity retention but provide insufficient information on ligand leaching, chemical consumption, recovered-product purity, and long-term durability. Direct benchmarking against commercial ion-exchange resins is also uncommon. This review therefore identifies accessible binding-site density, experimentally verified mechanisms, dynamic separation performance, and regeneration stability as essential criteria for evaluating epoxy-based ion-exchange materials. Future research should prioritize standardized testing, realistic feedwaters, extended regeneration cycles, and process-level comparisons to establish their practical feasibility and sustainability.
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BibTeX
@article{baidullayeva2026epoxybased,
title = {{Epoxy-Based Ion-Exchange Materials for Water Treatment and Resource Recovery: A Critical Review of Structure–Performance Relationships and Practical Limitations}},
author = {Ainash Baidullayeva and Nesipkhan Bektenov and Kanat Sadykov and Nurbatyr Mykhametgazy and Gulzhan Abdraliyeva and Katira Serikbayeva},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/polym18212710},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2710},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epoxy-Based Ion-Exchange Materials for Water Treatment and Resource Recovery: A Critical Review of Structure–Performance Relationships and Practical Limitations
AU - Ainash Baidullayeva
AU - Nesipkhan Bektenov
AU - Kanat Sadykov
AU - Nurbatyr Mykhametgazy
AU - Gulzhan Abdraliyeva
AU - Katira Serikbayeva
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18212710
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2710
AB - Epoxy- and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-based polymers offer versatile platforms for ion exchange, contaminant removal, and resource recovery. However, their reported adsorption capacities do not always reflect the number of functional groups that remain accessible and effective under practical treatment conditions. This review critically evaluates the relationships among polymer architecture, functionalization chemistry, binding mechanisms, mass transfer, and operational performance. Particular attention is given to the distinction between theoretical, total, accessible, and operational capacities. The literature indicates that increasing functional-group density does not necessarily improve adsorption performance because crosslinking, limited swelling, pore accessibility, and steric hindrance can restrict ion transport and site utilization. Mechanistic interpretations also remain uncertain in many studies, as ion exchange, coordination, and chemisorption are frequently inferred from equilibrium or kinetic model fitting without sufficient counter-ion balance or direct spectroscopic evidence. Furthermore, adsorption performance is predominantly evaluated in single-solute laboratory systems, while systematic comparisons under competitive-ion conditions, authentic water matrices, and continuous-flow operation remain limited. Regeneration studies often demonstrate short-term capacity retention but provide insufficient information on ligand leaching, chemical consumption, recovered-product purity, and long-term durability. Direct benchmarking against commercial ion-exchange resins is also uncommon. This review therefore identifies accessible binding-site density, experimentally verified mechanisms, dynamic separation performance, and regeneration stability as essential criteria for evaluating epoxy-based ion-exchange materials. Future research should prioritize standardized testing, realistic feedwaters, extended regeneration cycles, and process-level comparisons to establish their practical feasibility and sustainability.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -