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ZIF-8, a sort of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), had showed superior adsorptive property of typical radionuclide U(VI), but it reminded uncertain how the performance of ZIF-8 would be affected by adding humic acid (HA). HA could significantly change the surface charge of ZIFs and the transport of U(VI) in natural settings, which affected the eradication of U(VI) in aquatic ecology. Thus the impact of HA for the U(VI) removal by ZIF-8 as well as its mechanism had been analyzed by batch experiments and spectral analyses. It was demonstrated that the addition of HA increased the maximum removal capacity towards U(VI) from 781.2 mg g−1 to 1398.5 mg g−1. Moreover, removal property in acidic solution was improved, and the influence of background ions on ZIF-8 was reduced. The detailed mechanism was further explored by microscopic spectral analysis. The zeta potential showed that HA enhanced the electronegativity of ZIF-8 thus enhancing the electrostatic interaction with positive ions. Moreover, FT-IR and XPS further indicated that HA enhanced the removal capacity by affecting the surface complexation phenomena and strong chemical interactions between U(VI) and ZIF-8. Also, investigations indicated that the incorporation of HA improved the removal efficiency for U(VI), which had far-reaching significance for the application of ZIF-8 in practical environment. [Display omitted] • The effect of humic acid on the physicochemical properties of ZIF-8 was studied. • A fresh thinking for future research in practical application are prompted. • The influence of HA on the adsorption of uranium by ZIF-8 was studied. • The mechanisms are surface complexation and electrostatic interactions. • HA as a natural substance is more environmentally friendly in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlight • LDH@nZVI composite was prepared via a facile and green method. • Synergistic effects improved the capture ability for U(VI) on LDH@nZVI than single-guest. • O and Fe functional groups play an important role in the immobilization process of U(VI). • Interaction mechanism between U(VI) and LDH@nZVI was adsorption and reduction. Abstract In this study, nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) supported on layered double hydroxide (LDH) composite (LDH@nZVI) was prepared, characterized and applied to U(VI) scavenging in water. Removal of U(VI) as a function of pH, ionic strength, reaction time, initial concentrations of U(VI), and temperature were studied and compared with pure LDH and nZVI, the LDH@nZVI had best U(VI) removal efficiency owning to the excellent synergistic combination of LDH adsorption and nZVI reduction. XPS analysis found that surface oxygen functional groups and surface-bound Fe(II) played a critical role in U(VI) remediation. The large surface areas (334.0 m2/g), abundant functional groups (i.e., M O, C O and OH), rapid kinetics (adsorption equilibrium within 1 h) and excellent adsorption capacities (176 mg/g) indicating that LDH@nZVI can be considered as a potential material for preconcentration of U(VI) from sewage water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • CMN and CCMN were prepared via a single-step hydrothermal technique and calcination process. • The maximal removal capacities of U(VI) on CMN and CCMN were 585.6 and 973.7 mg/g, respectively. • Metal-oxygen functional groups played an important role in the elimination of U(VI). • Interaction mechanism was attributed to strong inner-surface complexation. Abstract Uranium is considered to be a strategic means for the nuclear power as well as a worldwide highly toxic pollutant. For the enhanced U(VI) elimination from wastewater, novel Co-Mo-Ni ternary hydroxide (CMN) and calcined CMN (CCMN) nanocomposites were prepared via a simplistic single-step hydrothermal technique and calcination process. The elimination process and adsorption property of U(VI) on CMN and CCMN were analysed by batch experiment as well as spectroscopy analysis, and the researches showed that U(VI) was formed stable and strong complexes with the surface groups of CMN and CCMN. The maximal removal capacities of U(VI) on CMN and CCMN amounted to be 585.6 and 973.7 mg/g at pH = 5.0 and T = 298 K, correspondingly, that exhibited competitiveness with the majority of the reported adsorbents. The U(VI) uptake was substantially impacted by the tested solution pH and not affected by the ionic strength, which revealed that the interaction mechanism was primarily inner-sphere surface complexation, which received further confirmation by the XPS analysis. Based on the above analyses, the facile synthesis process and excellent U(VI) elimination performance denoted that the ternary (hydr)oxide materials were applicable as an attractive adsorbent for the radionuclides preconcentration and removal from aqueous solutions in natural environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the extensive application of graphene oxide (GO), it is noticeable that part of GO is directly/indirectly released into the environment and widespread research indicated that it had adverse influences on human health and ecological balance. In this work, a novel nanobelt-like Ca/Al layered double hydroxides (CA-LDH) was synthesized and applied as efficient coagulant for the removal of GO from aqueous solutions. The results indicated that neutral pH, co-existing cations and higher temperature were beneficial to the coagulation of GO. The sequence of cation effect for promoting of GO coagulation was Ca 2+ > Mg 2+ > K + > Na + , whereas the effect of anions on GO coagulation was PO 4 3− > CO 3 2− > SO 4 2− > Cl − . Comparing with anions, the cations showed more dominate effect for GO coagulation than anions. Hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interaction were the main coagulation mechanisms for GO coagulation, which were evidenced by FT-IR and XPS analysis. Specifically, for the first time, the reclaimed product of CA-LDH after GO coagulation (CA-LDH + GO) was applied as adsorbents for the secondary application in the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Interestingly, the CA-LDH + GO still had high adsorption capacities, i.e., the maximum adsorption capacities ( q max ) for Cu(II), Pb(II), and Cr(VI) were 122.7 mg/g, 221.2 mg/g and 64.4 mg/g, respectively, higher than other similar materials. This paper highlighted the LDH-based nanomaterials are promising materials for the elimination of environmental pollutants and the migration and transformation of carbon nanomaterials in the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential threat of radionuclide uranium from nuclear industry had attracted worldwide attention because both environment and human beings were menaced. Nowadays, modified nanoscale zero valent iron (NZVI) had been reported to be efficient in U(VI) elimination due to its high reactivity, reducibility, and availability. In this study, serial biochar-based sulfide NZVIs (BC-SNZVIs) with different C/Fe and S/Fe were synthesized and applied to the elimination of U(VI) in order to investigate the effect of iron, sulfur, and biochar precursor. The morphological investigations indicated the precursor played an essential role towards BC-SNZVIs on their dispersibility and structure. The XRD analyzes were conducted to study their crystalline structure and the BC 1.0 -S 0.14 NZVI showed outstanding stability after 10-day exposure under atmosphere. The excellent magnetism was confirmed via VSM study, and BC 1.0 -S 0.14 NZVI could be easily and rapidly separated from aqueous solution. The batch kinetic and isothermal studies illustrated the superior performances towards U(VI), and the results revealed the fast kinetics and high capacities of BC-SNZVIs. Finally, the removal mechanism was explored by using XPS technology and pH-effect experiment. U(VI) was adsorbed by BC matrix and SNZVI, while portion of U(VI) was reduced into U(IV) by Fe0 inner core. The elimination process of U(VI) towards BC-SNZVI was confirmed to be a synergistic effect of adsorption and reduction. This study verified the optimal ratio of C/Fe and S/Fe, and explained the removal mechanism in detail, which was beneficial to further investigations of NZVI-based and biochar-based materials. [Display omitted] • The impact of C/Fe and S/Fe ratios on biochar-based SNZVIs were investigated. • BC 1.0 -S 0.14 NZVI showed excellent attraction and outstanding performance to U(VI). • The removal mechanism was a synergistic effect of reduction and adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both environment and human beings were menaced by the widespread application of radioactive uranium, high-performance and effective elimination of uranium from wastewater is of important meaning for development of environmental sustainability in the future. In this study, the water-stable MOF material and the highly crystalline COF were compounded by a mild hydrothermal strategy, which achieved efficient removal of U(VI) through the synergistic effect. The composites showed the characteristics of both COFs and MOFs, which will possess higher stability, larger surface area and faster adsorption efficiency that cannot be carried out by a single component. Batch experiments and characterizations (SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, BET, XPS, etc.) indicated that UiO-66-NH 2 @LZU1 had more stable and multi-layer pore structure and rich active functional groups. The Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics fitting was more suitable for the U(VI) elimination process. The greatest uranium adsorbing capacity of UiO-66-NH 2 @LZU1 (180.4 mg g−1) was observed to exceed the UiO-66-NH 2 (108.8 mg g−1) and COF-LZU1 (65.8 mg g−1), which reached the excellent hybrid effects. Furthermore, FT-IR and XPS analyses confirmed that the most nitrogen-containing group from COF-LZU1 and oxygen-containing group of UiO-66-NH 2 could be combined with U(VI). In addition, electrostatic interaction was also a mechanism during the removal process. This work displayed that UiO-66-NH 2 @LZU1 was a prospective hybrid material for radioactive waste remediation. The compound method and application mentioned in this work had provided a theoretical basis for designing and developing multi-functional composite adsorbents, which contributed to the development of new materials for radioactive wastewater treatment technologies. [Display omitted] • UiO-66-NH 2 @LZU1 composite material was obtained by solvothermal method. • Highly efficient uranium adsorbent, adsorption capacity reached 163.1 mg g−1. • Abundant nitrogen/oxygen functional groups promote uranium removal. • Main removal mechanism included electrostatic interaction and surface complexation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The characteristics of novel nanomaterials for uranium extraction are summarized. • The influencing factors for uranium extraction from seawater are introduced. • The mechanisms mainly include electrostatic, coordination, and chelation. • The opportunities and challenges in seawater uranium extraction are presented. There are abundant uranium resources in the ocean, from the perspective of resource utilization and ecological environmental protection, seawater uranium extraction is a way to regenerate uranium resources with high potential value. Due to the advantages of low cost, simple operation, practicality and environmental friendliness, the adsorption method has become one of the most commonly used and effective techniques for uranium extraction from seawater. This review first introduces commonly used adsorbents, mainly including carbon-based materials, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), biopolymers, amidoxime based materials and so on. Then, the main influencing factors of seawater uranium extraction by adsorption are listed, mainly including coexisting metal ions, salinity, pH, temperature and biofouling. Next, some experimental examples of the application of advanced techniques to speculate on reaction mechanisms such as coordination, chelation, electrostatic attraction, and adsorptive photocatalytic synergy are presented. Finally, this review puts forward the opportunities and challenges that still exist in seawater uranium extraction, and looks forward to its development prospects on this basis. The overview will help readers to further understand the key technologies of seawater uranium extraction and to discover more efficient and environmentally friendly materials for seawater uranium extraction, which is significant to support the development of nuclear power industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a practical and simple calcination method was used to synthesize layered double oxides (denoted as LDO) and layered double oxides/carbon dots nanocomposites (denoted as LDO-C) for U(VI) efficient removal. The U(VI) adsorption on LDO and LDO-C were investigated under various experimental conditions, and the results indicated that U(VI) uptake on LDO and LDO-C were consumingly dependent on pH and ionic strength at pH > 6, and independent of ionic strength at pH < 6. The adsorption processes of U(VI) on LDO and LDO-C were spontaneous and endothermic, and well simulated by pseudo-second-order model. The maximum adsorption capacity of U(VI) on LDO-C was calculated to be 354.2 mg/g at pH = 5.0 and T = 298 K, which was significantly higher than that of U(VI) on LDO (237.6 mg/g). Particularly, BET, F T-IR, XPS and EXAFS analysis suggested that the higher adsorption capacity of LDO-C was mainly attributed to higher specific surface area and more abundant surface oxygen-containing functional groups (e.g. C-OH), and the main interaction mechanisms were surface complexation and electrostatic interactions. In addition, LDO-C also showed higher adsorption capacity of 241 Am(III) than LDO. All in all, the efficient removal performance and superior versatility of LDO-C indicated that it could be applied as promising candidate for efficient immobilization of radioactive pollutant in environmental pollution management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract A novel arginine modified hydroxyapatite carbon microsphere (C@HAp/Arg) composite were synthesized by a facile and green method and exhibited superior adsorption efficiency for removal of U(VI). Abstract Uranium was not only the main source of nuclear energy but also one of the long-lived radionuclide. Herein, a novel arginine modified hydroxyapatite carbon microsphere composites (defined as C@HAp/Arg) obtained promptly via a one-step mild hydrothermal method, was applied to remove U(VI) from aqueous solutions. Based on the characterization of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the synthesized C@HAp/Arg presented globular morphology and abundant functional groups (e.g., COO−), which were beneficial to its combination with U(VI). The interaction mechanism and removal capability of U(VI) on C@HAp/Arg were studied by batch adsorption technique and spectroscopy analysis. The results implied that U(VI) can form strong surface complexes on C@HAp/Arg. The kinetics adsorption of U(VI) followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model with high removal efficiency (∼95% within 5 h at pH 5.0). The adsorption isotherms were well fitted by Langmuir model, implying that U(VI) uptake on C@HAp/Arg was monolayer coverage. It was found that the maximum adsorption capacities of CSs, C@HAp and C@HAp/Arg toward U(VI) were calculated to be 23.16, 72.09 and 569.66 mg/g, respectively, at 298.15 K and pH 5.0, and thermodynamic parameters revealed that the adsorption processes of U(VI) were spontaneous and endothermic. In addition, effect of co-existed ions and CO 3 2− concentrations demonstrated that U(VI) adsorption on C@HAp/Arg was weakly interfered by foreign ions and carbonate concentrations. More importantly, the adsorption performance of U(VI) on C@HAp/Arg was still over ∼87% after five cycles. Therefore, it was noted that the versatile C@HAp/Arg could be potentially used as a powerful building block for the enrichment and disposal of U(VI) from aqueous solutions, which could efficiently reduce the potential toxicity of U(VI) in the U(VI)-contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel low-cost, effective and environmental-friendly laminated carbon nitride decorated with polydopamine (PDA) and grafted with polyethyleneimine (PEI) brush ( l -C 3 N 4 /PDA/PEI 3 ) was successfully synthesized and applied as environmental cleaner for removing U(VI) ions from aqueous solutions under various environmental conditions. The adsorption isotherms fitted well by the Langmuir model, suggesting that the removal of U(VI) on l -C 3 N 4 /PDA/PEI 3 was monolayer coverage. The effects of different PEI contents were also investigated and the results demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of U(VI) on l -C 3 N 4 /PDA/PEI x decreased at higher content of PEI. Typically, various cations (Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ) and SO 4 2− could inhibit the adsorption through competitive coordination with U(VI), while CO 3 2− promoted U(VI) sorption owing to the formation of indissolvable complexes. The main driving force between U(VI) and l -C 3 N 4 /PDA/PEI 3 was surface complexation with various functional groups (C C, C O, N C C, and C C or C H) and electrostatic attraction. According to the analysis of EXAFS spectra, the occurrence of U-C and U-U shell revealed that inner-sphere complexation and surface co-precipitation dominated the adsorption of U(VI) on l -C 3 N 4 /PDA/PEI 3 at pH 5.0. The composites were also applied to remove 243 Am(III), Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions at different pH values, and similar results were also found for these metal ions. Such a facile synthesis method and efficient removal performance suggested that the l -C 3 N 4 /PDA/PEI 3 materials might be a promising adsorbent for efficient elimination of radionuclides and heavy metal ions in environmental pollution management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radioactive uranium removal plays a key role in energy development and environmental security. Sulfide nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-NZVI) has good antioxidant capacity, dispersibility and activity to eliminate U(VI) from wastewater, but the removal efficiency is limited. To improve the reduction and adsorption capacity of S-NZVI, through treating Fe3+ solution by nitro-functionalized UiO-66 (UiO-66-NO 2) with high porosity, UiO-66-NO 2 enhanced S-NZVI adsorbent (S-NZVI/UiO-66) was prepared by liquid phase reduction method. The smaller size and larger specific surface area of S-NZVI/UiO-66 were confirmed by a variety of characterization techniques. Based on the excellent surface structure and reactivity, the U(VI) removal capacity of S-NZVI/UiO-66 (895 mg g−1) was much better than S-NZVI (434 mg g−1) and UiO-66-NO 2 (267 mg g−1). The impacts of pH, background ion strength, coexisting ions and different water environments on adsorption were studied via macroscopic batch experiments. The results showed that S-NZVI/UiO-66 could remove U(VI) adequately in a wide pH range. The removal rate was basically not affected by the concentration of NaNO 3 , demonstrating that the adsorption process of U(VI) on S-NZVI/UiO-66 tended to inner surface complexation. From XPS technique combined with the results of batch adsorption experiments, it was clear that the elimination mechanisms of U(VI) by S-NZVI/UiO-66 were mainly the physical adsorption, electrostatic attraction and complexation of UiO-66-NO 2 , and the reduction and complexation of S-NZVI. Therefore, it is believed that S-NZVI/UiO-66 has a great potential to be an excellent adsorbent in the field of the environment remediation. Moreover, S-NZVI/UiO-66 promises to be a novel nanomaterial for solving the problem of radionuclide contamination in practical environments. [Display omitted] • The pretreatment of UiO-66-NO 2 can effectively reduce the size of S-NZVI. • S-NZVI/UiO had a better specific surface area than the original S-NZVI. • The practical application potential of S-NZVI/UiO was confirmed. • The removal mechanisms were adsorption and reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TC-AO were used to adsorb U(VI) and Eu(III). • Abundant functional groups and good selectivity endowed TC-AO excellent property. • The practical application potential of TC-AO was confirmed. • The mechanisms were surface complexation and electrostatic interaction. Although two-dimensional transition metal carbides and carbonitrides (MXenes) are becoming increasingly popular in contaminant remediation field, the preparation of MXene nanosheets that can efficiently eliminate the target pollutants still deserves in-depth investigation. Here we produced amidoxime Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets (TC-AO), which were efficient radionuclide adsorbents with high stability and positive affinity, by introducing the amidoxime group into the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene surface through grafting by diazonium salt. The high stability and abundant functional groups of TC-AO were demonstrated by different characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Multiple factors affecting the radionuclide removal performance were explored, including reaction time, temperature, pH, ionic strength, anions and cations. The experimental results demonstrated that the radionuclide uptake by TC-AO was a heat-absorbing, spontaneous single-molecule chemisorption process and was consistent with the pseudo-secondary and Langmuir models. When pH < 6, the mechanism of uranium removal was inner complexation, and as the pH continued to increase, uranium removal shifted to outer complexation. Furthermore, the results certificated that TC-AO exhibited fast reaction kinetics (reaching equilibrium in about 20 min), excellent removal efficiency (279.57 mg U·g−1 and 73.99 mg Eu·g−1), outstanding selectivity and good stability. The studies showed that TC-AO had good stability and functionality, which was not only valuable for the design of MXene based adsorbents, but also provided a meaningful option for the extraction of radioactive pollutants from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Water stable Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 was fabricated through a facile modification strategy. • Excellent structural performances endowed Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 outstanding absorbability. • Multi-factors influence demonstrated the practical application potential. • The mechanisms were electrostatic attraction and inner-sphere surface complexation. • The excellent uptake capabilities made Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 a promising adsorbent. The water stable core-shell microspheres (Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8) with strong magnetism were successfully fabricated through a facile modification strategy. Concrete procedures included firstly pretreatment of Fe 3 O 4 core with anionic polyelectrolyte to acquire negatively charged Fe 3 O 4 particle surface, followed by nucleation through attracting Zn2+ cation, and then growth of a thin layer of ZIF-8 (~25 nm). Various characterization techniques (SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, VSM, BET and XPS) indicated that the Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 microspheres were highly stable and magnetic with a large specific surface area (606.91 m2/g) and fairly sufficient functional groups (NH , OH, COOH, Zn O, N O and C N). Multi-factors affecting the radionuclides removal performance on Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 was adequately explored, comprising contact time, temperature, pH, ionic strength, co-existing ions and extreme conditions. And the results showed that Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 exhibited fast reaction kinetics (~30 min to achieve equilibrium), excellent uptake capabilities (539.7 mg U/g and 255.6 mg Eu/g), remarkable selectivity and favorable physicochemical stability. These researches suggested that Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 could not only simultaneously achieve favorable stability and functionality, but also easily to be separated by external magnetic field after used in radioactive sewage treatment, which was of considerable practical utility in extracting radioactive wastes though in harsh circumstance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]