Amidoximated poly(vinyl imidazole)-functionalized molybdenum disulfide sheets for efficient sorption of a uranyl tricarbonate complex from aqueous solutions

Abstract

It is of strategic importance to capture uranium(VI) from aqueous solutions from the points of environment and energy. A new method is reported herein for efficient uranium(VI) capture from aqueous solutions by amidoximated poly(vinyl imidazole)-functionalized MoS₂ sheets. Specifically, the sorbent is prepared by grafting amidoximated poly(vinyl imidazole) onto MoS₂-sheets through covalent bonds. The sorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetics and the equilibrium can be reached within 30 s. There is a large sorption capacity of 348.4 mg g⁻¹ at pH 8.0 and 298.15 K. The sorbent shows good selectivity towards uranium(VI) over the coexisting ions in comparison with bare MoS₂-sheets. In addition, the sorbent exhibits remarkable salt-resistant stability and can be regenerated efficiently after five cycles with high cycle efficiency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on MoS₂ sheets for uranium(VI) sorption with high efficiency from aqueous solution.