Highly efficient and selective 99TcO4- uptake from reprocessing low-level liquid waste using a zirconium-based metal-organic framework

Efficient and selective sequestration of pertechnetate ions (99TcO(4)(-)) from nuclear low-level waste (LLW) solution is very much desirable for the safe treatment of radioactive liquid waste. However, the separation of specific radionuclides from competitors is a huge challenge in separation science. In the nuclear fuel cycle, 99TcO(4)(-) is one of troublesome fission products due to long half-life, large inventory in spent fuel, significant radiation hazards, and high environmental mobility of 99TcO(4)(-) ions. Recently, the metal-organic framework (MOFs) has shown significant potentials toward 99 TcO4- removal. So far, most of the studies were reported using ReO4- ions, an inactive surrogate of 99TcO(4)(-) ions, and very few MOF materials are applied for real-time 99TcO(4)(-) sequestration from nuclear waste solution in the presence of extreme conditions. Herein, we report 99TcO(4)(-) ion removal from low-level liquid nuclear waste solution using zirconium-based metal-organic framework UIO-66-NH2. The material has exhibited fast kinetics and record selectivity toward 99TcO(4)(-)ions, making the adsorbent highly promising. [Graphics] .