Rational structure design for enhanced uranium(VI) capture and beyond: From carbon nanotubes to graphene oxide nanoribbons

Abstract

Graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs) that are derived from chemical unzipping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for uranium capture have been reported, but little is known about the complex chemical interactions between uranium(VI) and GONRs with different unzipping level. An unzipping process from MWCNTs to GONRs was identified using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (Ft-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The uranium(VI) adsorption performances of GONRs with different unzipping level were investigated, and the enhanced U(VI) capture was closely related to their structures and surface oxygen-containing functional groups. The interaction mechanism at the molecular level demonstrated that UO22+ mainly complexed with carboxyl and hydroxyl groups at the edges of the GONRs. In addition, further functionalization has been proposed for expanding the potential applications of GONRs.