Recent progress of selective adsorbents: From preparation to complex sample pretreatment

Sample pretreatment is an important part for qualitative and quantitative analysis of targets in analytical chemistry. With the rapid development of adsorbents in material science, selective adsorbents have been found particularly practical in sample pretreatment due to their resistance to complex matrix interference. Selective adsorbents concern formation of selective recognition sites, involving diverse interactions and distinct size/shape matching cavities for targets, which can selectively extract targets from complex real samples. In this review, selective adsorbents constructed in recent years have been summarized, involving molecularly imprinted polymers (summarizing from faced typical challenges, such as template leakage, low adsorption capacity, poor resistance to macromolecular interference and difficulty in aqueous recognition) and non-imprinted selective adsorbents (discussing from representative types of adsorbents with selectivity). Meanwhile, we concentrate on the application of selective adsorbents in complex sample pretreatment. Finally, a conclusion and a brief assessment of future developments in this area are revealed. •The preparation ideas of selective adsorbents are reviewed.•Recent progresses of major challenges of MIPs are summarized.•Recent progresses of non-imprinted selective adsorbents are summarized.•The application of selective adsorbents in complex sample pretreatment is discussed.•The perspective of selective adsorbents in complex sample pretreatment is presented.