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Functionalized Polyethyleneimine Adsorbent for Efficient and Selective Uranium Extraction from Aqueous Solution

Author

Listed:
  • Huijun Yan

    (Department of Chemistry, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China)

  • Long Huo

    (Key Laboratory of Superlight Material and Surface Technology, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China)

  • Hong Gao

    (Department of Chemistry, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China)

  • Xuanyi Li

    (Department of Chemistry, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China)

  • Jianwei Bai

    (Key Laboratory of Superlight Material and Surface Technology, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China)

Abstract

The sustainable treatment of uranium-containing wastewater is of significant importance for environmental protection. This study reports a novel Polyethyleneimine-4-cyanobenzaldehyde/p-Phthalaldehyde-Amidoxime (PEI-PAC-AO) adsorbent for the effective extraction of uranium from aqueous solutions. The structural and performance characteristics of the adsorbents were analyzed through FT-IR, TGA, SEM, CA, and ICP-MS. Adsorption mechanisms were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), revealing that uranium adsorption is due to coordination with N and O atoms in the amidoxime groups. Batch adsorption experiments showed that PEI-PAC-AO exhibited excellent removal efficiency at pH 6. The static adsorption performance better fits the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Adsorption results indicated that the removal extent of uranium ions remained at 80% after nine consecutive adsorption cycles using 0.5 M nitric acid as the eluent. These findings suggest that PEI-PAC-AO is a sustainable and promising material for the efficient removal of uranium from wastewater, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach that contributes to environmentally responsible wastewater treatment strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Huijun Yan & Long Huo & Hong Gao & Xuanyi Li & Jianwei Bai, 2025. "Functionalized Polyethyleneimine Adsorbent for Efficient and Selective Uranium Extraction from Aqueous Solution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:5953-:d:1689832
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