Highly efficient and selective 99TcO4 – uptake from reprocessing low-level liquid waste using a zirconium-based metal−organic framework

Abstract

ABSTRACT Efficient and selective sequestration of pertechnetate ions (99TcO4 –) from nuclear low-level waste (LLW) solution is very much desirable for the safe treatment of radioactive liquid waste. However, the separation of specific radionuclides from competitors is a huge challenge in separation science. In the nuclear fuel cycle, 99TcO4 – is one of troublesome fission products due to long half-life, large inventory in spent fuel, significant radiation hazards, and high environmental mobility of 99TcO4 – ions. Recently, the metal−organic framework (MOFs) has shown significant potentials toward 99TcO4 – removal. So far, most of the studies were reported using ReO4 – ions, an inactive surrogate of 99TcO4 – ions, and very few MOF materials are applied for real-time 99TcO4 – sequestration from nuclear waste solution in the presence of extreme conditions. Herein, we report 99TcO4 – ion removal from low-level liquid nuclear waste solution using zirconium-based metal−organic framework UIO-66-NH2. The material has exhibited fast kinetics and record selectivity toward 99TcO4 – ions, making the adsorbent highly promising.