The efficient uptake of uranium by amine-functionalized β-cyclodextrin supported fly ash composite from polluted water

Congcong Chen; Xuan Liu; Xiaoyu Tian; Jiaqi Feng; Yujia Liu; Mingjun Song; Wenkun Zhu; Yong Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172342

The efficient uptake of uranium by amine-functionalized β-cyclodextrin supported fly ash composite from polluted water

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Jun 1:927:172342. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172342. Epub 2024 Apr 10.

Authors

Congcong Chen¹, Xuan Liu¹, Xiaoyu Tian¹, Jiaqi Feng¹, Yujia Liu¹, Mingjun Song², Wenkun Zhu³, Yong Zhang⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Sichuan Co-Innovation Center for New Energetic Materials, National Co-innovation Center for Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Safety, Nuclear Waste and Environmental Safety Key Laboratory of Defense, School of National Defence Science & Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China.
² The 210(th) Institute of the Sixth Academy of CASIC, Xian 710065, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Sichuan Co-Innovation Center for New Energetic Materials, National Co-innovation Center for Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Safety, Nuclear Waste and Environmental Safety Key Laboratory of Defense, School of National Defence Science & Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China. Electronic address: zhuwenkun@swust.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, Sichuan Co-Innovation Center for New Energetic Materials, National Co-innovation Center for Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Safety, Nuclear Waste and Environmental Safety Key Laboratory of Defense, School of National Defence Science & Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China. Electronic address: yongpandm@swust.edu.cn.

PMID: 38608905
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172342

Abstract

A novel polyethyleneimine/polydopamine-functionalized β-cyclodextrin supported fly ash adsorbent (PEI/PDA/β-CD/FA) had been synthesized to uptake uranium from polluted water. At pH = 5.0 and T = 298 K, the uranium uptake efficiency and capacity of PEI/PDA/β-CD/FA reached to 98.7 % and 622.8 mg/g, respectively, which were much higher than those of FA (71.4 % and 206.7 mg/g).The excellent uranium uptake properties of PEI/PDA/β-CD/FA could be explained by three points: (1) using β-CD as a supporting material could effectively avoid the aggregation of FA and improve the hydrophily of FA; (2) the unique cavity structure of β-CD could form chelates with uranyl ions; (3) the formation of PEI/PDA co-deposition coating on FA further enhanced the affinity of FA to UO₂²⁺. With the presence of interfering ions, the uptake efficiency of PEI/PDA/β-CD/FA for uranium was still up to 94.5 % after five cycles, indicating the high selectively and recoverability of PEI/PDA/β-CD/FA. In terms of the results of characterizations, uranium was captured by PEI/PDA/β-CD/FA via electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bond, coordination and complexation. To sum up, PEI/PDA/β-CD/FA was expected to be used for actual sewage treatment owing to its excellent uranium uptake efficiency/capacity, selectivity, cycle stability and feasibility of actual application.

Keywords: Amine-functionalized; Fly ash; Uptake; Uranium; β-Cyclodextrin.