Highly selective adsorption of uranium in strong HNO3 media achieved on a phosphonic acid functionalized nanoporous polymer

Dingzhong Yuan; Yun Wang; Yong Qian; Yan Liu; Gang Feng; Bin Huang; Xiaohong Zhao

doi:10.1039/C7TA07320H

Highly selective adsorption of uranium in strong HNO₃ media achieved on a phosphonic acid functionalized nanoporous polymer

Dingzhong Yuan,*^a^b Yun Wang,^b Yong Qian,^b Yan Liu,^b Gang Feng,*^c Bin Huang^b and Xiaohong Zhao*^c

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* Corresponding authors

^a Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
E-mail: ydz3214@126.com

^b Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Polymer Micro/Nano Manufacturing and Devices, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, China

^c College of Chemistry, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
E-mail: zhaoxh@ncu.edu.cn, fenggang@ncu.edu.cn

Abstract

The competition between uranium and other metal ions is one of the greatest challenges for recovery of uranium in strong HNO₃ media. In this study, a novel nanoporous organic polymer adsorbent P(EGDMA-VPA) (POP-EDVP) was designed and synthesized by a solvothermal strategy, showing highly selective adsorption of uranium in strong HNO₃ media containing 16 co-existing cations. The outstanding selectivity (S_U = 94.2%) for the adsorption of uranium on the polymer is reasonably attributed to the presence of P [double bond, length as m-dash] O groups in the polymer skeleton, where the PO groups have a strong complexation with UO₂(NO₃)₂, as evidenced by their XPS results and supported by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Very importantly, the polymer shows a maximum adsorption capacity of uranium as high as 215.9 mg g⁻¹ at 298 K in a 4 M HNO₃ solution. Even after recycling seven times, there is not any noticeable loss of its sorption capacity. This work shows a simple route to prepare a polymer adsorbent for highly selective adsorption of uranium in strong HNO₃ media, which is very significant for recovery of uranium in strongly acidic media.

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Publication details

The article was received on 18 Aug 2017, accepted on 18 Oct 2017 and first published on 18 Oct 2017

Article type: Paper

DOI: 10.1039/C7TA07320H

Citation: J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 22735-22742

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Highly selective adsorption of uranium in strong HNO₃ media achieved on a phosphonic acid functionalized nanoporous polymer

D. Yuan, Y. Wang, Y. Qian, Y. Liu, G. Feng, B. Huang and X. Zhao, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 22735
DOI: 10.1039/C7TA07320H
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Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Highly selective adsorption of uranium in strong HNO₃ media achieved on a phosphonic acid functionalized nanoporous polymer

Abstract

Supplementary files

Publication details

Highly selective adsorption of uranium in strong HNO₃ media achieved on a phosphonic acid functionalized nanoporous polymer

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