Preparation of a novel polyacrylic acid and chitosan interpenetrating network hydrogel for removal of U(vi) from aqueous solutions

Abstract

A clean and simple method has been developed for preparation of interpenetrating polymer networks using polyacrylic acid (PAA) and chitosan (CS) for extraction of uranium from polluted water. The peak of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) occurred at 928 cm⁻¹ indicating combination of uranium and PAA/CS. The energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies illustrated the formation of a crosslinking structure and excellent binding ability of uranium on PAA/CS. The maximum adsorption capacity was 289.6 mg g⁻¹ calculated using the equation of the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity reached a plateau at pH 4 and the sorption process fits the pseudo-second-order model well. The PAA/CS composite has stability of reuse, with the adsorbent capacity decreasing slowly with increasing usage frequency. The experimental results confirm that the PAA/CS hydrogel could be a novel alternative for highly efficient removal of uranium from wastewater.