Sorption behavior of strontium ions by graphene oxide decorated with chitosan nanoparticles from aqueous solutions

This study provides and investigates the fabrication of graphene oxide (GO) sheets decorated with chitosan nanoparticles (CSNP) through the hybridizing of GO and CS, by the addition of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a cross-linker agent. The fabricated GO-CSNP composite was characterized using several advanced techniques. Furthermore, various parameters affect the sorption of Sr(II), such as contact time, pH, initial concentration, dosage, temperature, and coexisting ions. The experimental results were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order reaction. The interaction mechanism between Sr(II) and GO-CSNP composite was accurately described by the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 473.93 mg/g. The GO-CSNP composite demonstrated exceptional selectivity for the sorption of Sr(II) over Y(III) at a high concentration ratio of 10:1 for Sr2+ to Y3+, respectively. Furthermore, the GO-CSNP adsorbent demonstrated considerable potential as a highly effective sorbent for the adsorption of Sr(II), Mo(VI), Cd(II), and Cs(I) ions. The results revealed that the prepared composite was effectively capable of removing various fission products.