Adsorption performance of U(VI) by amidoxime-based activated carbon

Recent progress in high-performance environmental impacts of the removal of radionuclides from wastewater based on metal-organic frameworks: a review

The nuclear industry is rapidly developing and the effective management of nuclear waste and monitoring the nuclear fuel cycle are crucial. The presence of various radionuclides such as uranium (U), europium (Eu), technetium (Tc), iodine (I), thorium (Th), cesium (Cs), and strontium (Sr) in the environment is a major concern, and the development of materials with high adsorption capacity and selectivity is essential for their effective removal. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently emerged as promising materials for removing radioactive elements from water resources due to their unique properties such as tunable pore size, high surface area, and chemical structure. This review provides an extensive analysis of the potential of MOFs as adsorbents for purifying various radionuclides rather than using different techniques such as precipitation, filtration, ion exchange, electrolysis, solvent extraction, and flotation. This review discusses various MOF fabrication methods, focusing on minimizing environmental impacts when using organic solvents and solvent-free methods, and covers the mechanism of MOF adsorption towards radionuclides, including macroscopic and microscopic views. It also examines the effectiveness of MOFs in removing radionuclides from wastewater, their behavior on exposure to high radiation, and their renewability and reusability. We conclude by emphasizing the need for further research to optimize the performance of MOFs and expand their use in real-world applications. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the potential of MOFs as efficient and durable materials for removing radioactive elements from water resources, addressing a critical issue in the nuclear industry.

Activation of persulfate by heterogeneous nano zero-valent iron/halloysite nanotubes: reaction behavior, mechanism, and implication for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation

A novel composite (nZVI/HNTs) was prepared via incorporating nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) with existence of persulfate (PS). The adsorption process of nZVI/HNTs to TCH conformed to the Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and its maximum adsorption capacity was 76.62 mg·g-1. Furthermore, the nZVI/HNTs + PS system exhibited satisfactory degradation efficiency (84.21%) for TCH, and stable nZVI/HNTs (Fe leaching < 0.001 mg·L-1) could be reused. When nZVI/HNTs dosage, PS dosage and temperature increased, TCH degradation could be enhanced. After four cycling, nZVI/HNTs + PS system had still 65.8% degradation for TCH. The quenching tests and EPR analysis evidenced that SO4•- was predominant instead of •OH in such system. Three possible pathways of TCH degradation were provided through the liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) determination. Meanwhile, the biological toxicity prediction analysis indicated that the nZVI/HNTs + PS system would be an environment friendly treatment method toward TCH pollution.

Efficient enrichment of U(VI) by two-dimensional layered transition metal carbide composite

With the rapid development of nuclear energy, how to safely and efficiently dispose of radioactive waste solution has become an urgent environmental problem of public concern. It is of great significance to construct a new type of high-efficiency adsorbent material to recover uranium from nuclear waste solution. In this work, the Ti3C2Tx material (an emerging two-dimensional inorganic layered material) with a stable layered structure was used as the matrix, and the amidoxime functionalized MXene composite material (PAO/Ti3C2Tx) was synthesized by in-situ polymerization. The amidoxime-functionalized Ti3C2Tx showed excellent capacity to capture U(VI), with a maximum adsorption capacity of 98.04 mg/g at 25 °C, which was significantly better than that of Ti3C2Tx, and the adsorption selectivity for U(VI) was greatly improved. The adsorption was conformed to Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, the adsorbed UO22+ could be effectively desorbed by 0.1 M HNO3, and the adsorption performance of PAO/Ti3C2Tx did not decrease significantly after 5 adsorption/desorption cycles. The results of ionic strength experiment, FT-IR, SEM, and XPS jointly indicated that adsorption mechanism of U(VI) on PAO/Ti3C2Tx was the combined effect of the amidoxime group and -O and -OH active groups on the surface of Ti3C2Tx, mainly inner complexation. These advantages make PAO/Ti3C2Tx composite a highly potential U(VI) adsorbent with great application prospects.

Selective and highly efficient removal of uranium from radioactive effluents by activated carbon functionalized with 2-aminobenzoic acid as a new sorbent

The purpose of this study was modification of activated carbon (AC) to prepare a new selective sorbent for removal of uranium ion. The modification was performed by introducing carboxyl groups onto AC using ammonium persulfate (APS) in sulfuric acid solution followed by functionalization with 2-aminobenzoic acid (ABA) as a selective ligand for U (VI) ion (UO₂²⁺) adsorption. The characterization of the synthetized sorbent (AC-ABA) was carried out through several methods including potentiometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and FT-IR to confirm successful functionalization of the sorbent surface with oxygen and amine groups. The sorption of U (VI) on the unmodified AC and AC-ABA was investigated as a function of contact time, sorbent content, initial uranium concentration, solution pH, and temperature using batch sorption technique. In addition, the effect of various parameters on the U (VI) sorption capacity was optimized by the response surface methodology as a potent experimental design method. The results indicated that sorption of U (VI) under the optimal conditions was significantly improved onto AC-ABA compared to AC. Kinetic studies displayed that the sorption process reached equilibrium after 100 min and followed the pseudo-second-order rate equation. The isothermal data fitted better with the Langmuir model than the Freundlich model. The maximum sorption capacity of AC-ABA for U(VI) was obtained to be 194.2 mg g^-1 by the Langmuir model under optimum conditions, which demonstrates the sorption capacity has been improved by the modification process. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔS and ΔG) indicated that sorption of uranium onto AC-ABA was an endothermic and spontaneous process. The sorption studies on radioactive effluents of the nuclear fuel plant represented high selectivity of AC-ABA for removal of uranium in the presence of other metal ions, and the selectivity coefficients significantly improved after modification of the sorbent. Application of AC-ABA for treatment of industrial effluents containing heavy and radioactive metal ions show high potential and capability of the proposed method.

Mitigation of indoor air pollution: A review of recent advances in adsorption materials and catalytic oxidation

Indoor air pollution with toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a threat to human health, causing cancer, leukemia, fetal malformation, and abortion. Therefore, the development of technologies to mitigate indoor air pollution is important to avoid adverse effects. Adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation are the current approaches for the removal of VOCs and PM2.5 with high efficiency. In this review we focus on the recent development of indoor air pollution mitigation materials based on adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition. First, we review on the primary indoor air pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene compounds, PM2.5, flame retardants, and plasticizer: Next, the recent advances in the use of adsorption materials including traditional biochar and MOF (metal-organic frameworks) as the new emerging porous materials for VOCs absorption is reviewed. We review the mechanism for mitigation of VOCs using biochar (noncarbonized organic matter partition and adsorption) and MOF together with parameters that affect indoor air pollution removal efficiency based on current mitigation approaches including the mitigation of VOCs using photocatalytic oxidation. Finally, we bring forward perspectives and directions for the development of indoor air mitigation technologies.