Sorption is a general term for the processes by which one substance becomes associated with another, encompassing adsorption, the accumulation of molecules or ions on a surface, and absorption, the penetration of a substance into the bulk of a material. In adsorption, the species being concentrated is the adsorbate …
Sorption is a general term for the processes by which one substance becomes associated with another, encompassing adsorption, the accumulation of molecules or ions on a surface, and absorption, the penetration of a substance into the bulk of a material. In adsorption, the species being concentrated is the adsorbate and the surface that retains it is the adsorbent, with binding mediated by physical forces such as van der Waals interactions or by stronger chemical bonds, distinguishing physisorption from chemisorption. Sorption behavior is commonly described by equilibrium isotherm models and by kinetic relationships that capture the rate and capacity of uptake, and it depends on surface area, porosity, surface chemistry, pH, temperature, and the nature of the sorbate. The phenomenon is fundamental to many separation and purification technologies, including chromatography, gas separation, ion exchange, and the removal of contaminants from water and wastewater. A particularly active area is the use of biological and low-cost materials, including microbial biomass and natural sorbents, for biosorption of heavy metals and pollutants, offering routes to remediation and resource recovery. Related membrane and extraction techniques exploit selective partitioning to concentrate target species. Research on sorption spans surface and colloid chemistry, equilibrium and kinetic modeling, materials development, and the application of sorption to environmental treatment and analytical separation.
5 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 5 articles above have been cited 17 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Nov 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Sorption, linking to each citing work.