Efficient removal of U(VI) from aqueous solution using poly(amidoxime-hydroxamic acid) functionalized graphene oxide

The efficient development of selective materials for uranium recovery from wastewater and seawater is crucial for the utilization of uranium resources and environmental protection. The potential of graphene oxide (GO) as an effective adsorbent for the removal of environmental contaminants has been extensively investigated. Further modification of the functional groups on the basal surface of GO can significantly enhance its adsorption performance. In this study, a novel poly(amidoxime-hydroxamic acid) functionalized graphene oxide (pAHA-GO) was synthesized via free radical polymerization followed by an oximation reaction, aiming to enhance its adsorption efficiency for U(VI). A variety of characterization techniques, including SEM, Raman spectroscopy, FT–IR, and XPS, were employed to demonstrate the successful decoration of amidoxime and hydroxamic acid functional groups onto GO. Meanwhile, the adsorption of U(VI) on pAHA-GO was studied as a function of contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, ionic strength, initial U(VI) concentration, and interfering ions by batch-type experiments. The results indicated that the pAHA-GO exhibited excellent reuse capability, high stability, and anti-interference ability. Specially, the U(VI) adsorption reactions were consistent with pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isothermal adsorption models. The maximum U(VI) adsorption capacity was evaluated to be 178.7 mg/g at pH 3.6, displaying a higher U(VI) removal efficiency compared with other GO-based adsorbents in similar conditions. Regeneration of pAHA-GO did not significantly influence the adsorption towards U(VI) for up to four sequential cycles. In addition, pAHA-GO demonstrated good adsorption capacity stability when it was immersed in HNO3 solution at different concentrations (0.1–1.0 mol/L) for 72 h. pAHA-GO was also found to have anti-interference ability for U(VI) adsorption in seawater with high salt content at near-neutral pH condition. In simulated seawater, the adsorption efficiency was above 94% for U(VI) across various initial concentrations. The comprehensive characterization results demonstrated the involvement of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups in pAHA-GO in the adsorption process of U(VI). Overall, these findings demonstrate the feasibility of the pAHA-GO composite used for the capture of U(VI) from aqueous solutions.