Nitrogen-rich porous organic polymer as a promising adsorbent for iodine capture from organic solvents

Abstract

As society looks toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources, nuclear energy has emerged as a promising alternative to the harmful emissions generated by fossil fuels. However, managing radioactive waste poses a significant challenge due to the potential for radionuclide release during transportation and disposal, posing serious health and environmental risks. In particular, isotopes with long half-lives, such as ¹²⁹I and ¹³¹I, can be particularly hazardous when they accumulate in the human thyroid. This study investigates the potential of porous organic polymers (POPs) for adsorbing iodine. POPs have exceptional capacity, reusability, and versatility for various applications. Specifically, a perylene and triazine-based polymer called PT-POP was synthesized to remove hazardous pollutants in industrial settings effectively. PT-POP was identified using FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, TGA, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption. The results showed that PT-POP is a very stable polymer due to the presence of perylene rings and has a surface area of 475 m² g⁻¹. PT-POP is electron-rich due to the presence of perylene rings and nitrogen heteroatoms, which makes it suitable for iodine adsorption. Impressively, PT-POP can adsorb 340 mg g⁻¹ of iodine from cyclohexane in only 3 hours. The results indicate that the adsorption isotherm follows the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetics conform to the pseudo-second-order model. In addition, this material showed complete recyclability in four cycles. This phenomenon emphasizes the potential of PT-POP as a promising solution for rapidly removing iodine, which ultimately contributes to increased environmental safety.