Tarmizi Taher, Aditya Rianjanu
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of adsorbent monoliths with programmable macro-architecture, offering a paradigm shift from conventional powder and granular adsorbent forms toward structured, deployment-ready water treatment devices. This review critically examines more than 60 original studies (2014–2026), compiled following a structured search of the Scopus database restricted to English-language original research articles, on 3D-printed adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment, covering five AM techniques (direct ink writing, fused deposition modeling, stereolithography/digital light processing, selective laser sintering, and binder jetting), more than a dozen material families (zeolites, geopolymers, metal–organic frameworks, activated carbon, hydrogels, cellulose nanofibers, hydroxyapatite, MXenes, and metal oxides), and five pollutant classes (heavy metals, organic dyes, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, and emerging contaminants including PFAS and microplastics). Maximum adsorption capacities reach 740.74 mg g-1 for U(VI) and ∼430 mg g-1 for methylene blue, though printed-to-powder capacity ratios typically range from 0.4 to 0.8 due to binder dilution and specific surface area reduction. Structure–performance analysis reveals that printed geometry is a first-order performance variable: hexagonal and honeycomb lattices outperform alternative patterns in both adsorption efficiency and mechanical strength, hierarchical pore engineering preserves intrinsic adsorbent porosity, and monolithic forms exhibit sharper breakthrough fronts (21% smaller mass transfer zone), superior regeneration durability (up to 30 cycles with 91.4% retention), and permeabilities exceeding 105 L/m2/h/bar. Critical gaps are identified: no pilot-scale deployment, lifecycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, or computational design optimization (CFD, machine learning) has been reported, and continuous-flow operation beyond 24 h remains undemonstrated. Future research priorities include hybrid manufacturing for scalability, modular cartridge integration into existing treatment infrastructure, and comprehensive sustainability benchmarking against conventional adsorbent technologies. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.
Department of Environmental Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA), Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Department of Materials Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA), Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Center for Green and Sustainable Materials, Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA), Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia