Highly effective prussian blue-coated MXene aerogel spheres for selective removal of cesium ions

Abstract

Two-dimensional titanium carbide MXene (Ti3C2Tx) incorporated with Prussian blue aerogel spheres (PBMXsphere) were designed and fabricated by a simple synthesis method for selective cesium removal in different matrices. The synthesized micro spheres exhibited unique internal structure and high porosity. They were enriched with oxygenated functional groups of Ti3C2Tx and offered selective binding sites of Prussian blue. The synthesized PBMXsphere can thus be used as a unique adsorbent for radionuclide Cs+ removal in water. Analytical techniques such as PXRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, and XPS were utilized to investigate the material characteristics and structural changes after cesium ion adsorption. The PBMXsphere spheres unveiled an exceptional adsorption capacity of 315.91 mg/g for Cs+, which is amongst the highest values reported for similar adsorbents. PBMX-IIIsphere was capable for removing cesium ions at the ppb level with a distribution coefficient of 3.42 × 1005 mL/g in the presence of coexisting ions such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. The PBMXsphere spheres were highly efficient for Cs+ removal under extreme pH values (pH 2–12). Furthermore, PBMX-IIIsphere offered exceptionally high removal efficiency in 1 M HCl and 5 M NaNO3 solution matrices. For practical applications, extraordinary Cs+ capturing behavior was observed in simulated seawater.