Abstract
The effective removal of uranium from an aqueous solution is a highly valuable process for the environment and health. In this study, we developed a facile and rapid method to synthesize hierarchically porous Cu-BTC (RT-Cu-BTC) using a cooperative template strategy. The as-synthesized RT-Cu-BTC exhibited hierarchically porous structure and excellent thermostability, as revealed by X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Compared with conventional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites, the obtained RT-Cu-BTC exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity (839.7 mg·g−1) and high removal efficiency (99.8%) in the capture of uranium (VI) from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the conditions such as adsorbent dose, contact time, and temperature in adsorption of uranium (VI) by RT-Cu-BTC were investigated in detail. The thermodynamics data demonstrated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the uranium (VI) adsorption process. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order models could better reflect the adsorption process of uranium (VI) onto RT-Cu-BTC. In addition, the as-synthesized RT-Cu-BTC showed excellent stability in removing uranium (VI) from an aqueous solution. This work provides a facile and rapid approach for fabricating hierarchically porous MOFs to realize a highly efficient removal of uranium (VI) from aqueous systems.
Highlights
As a representative radioactive element, uranium is a primary fuel that is used to produce nuclear power and has been widely used in various fields such as national defense and nuclear power plants [1,2]
Unlike the conventional Cu-BTC particle with an octahedral morphology and smooth surface (Figure S2a), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image in Figure S2b displays that the as-synthesized RT-Cu-BTC particle has a basic octahedral shape and a large number of worm-like pores distributed on the surface of the crystals
Hierarchically porous Cu-BTC (RT-Cu-BTC) material was successfully synthesized under facile conditions within 30 min using a cooperative template strategy
Summary
As a representative radioactive element, uranium is a primary fuel that is used to produce nuclear power and has been widely used in various fields such as national defense and nuclear power plants [1,2]. The development of effective methods for adsorption and removal of uranium from radioactive wastewater is of great significance. Available approaches such as chemical precipitation [4], solvent extraction [5], ion exchange [6], coagulation [7], and adsorption [8,9] have been developed to extract and remove uranium. Adsorption is considered an effective method for the removal of uranium due to its simple operation process, high efficiency, and low cost, especially for use with low concentrations [10,11]. Microporous MOF materials have been widely used as adsorbents for adsorption of uranium (VI) from aqueous solutions [19]. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports on hierarchically porous MOF materials being used as adsorbents to remove uranium (VI) from an aqueous solution
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