Highly Efficient Enrichment of Radionuclides on Graphene Oxide-Supported Polyaniline

Abstract

Graphene oxide-supported polyaniline ([email protected]) composites were synthesized by chemical oxidation and were characterized by SEM, Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy, TGA, potentiometric titrations, and XPS. The characterization indicated that PANI can be grafted onto the surface of GO nanosheets successfully. The sorption of U(VI), Eu(III), Sr(II), and Cs(I) from aqueous solutions as a function of pH and initial concentration on the [email protected] composites was investigated. The maximum sorption capacities of U(VI), Eu(III), Sr(II), and Cs(I) on the [email protected] composites at pH 3.0 and T = 298 K calculated from the Langmuir model were 1.03, 1.65, 1.68, and 1.39 mmol·g^–1, respectively. According to the XPS analysis of the [email protected] composites before and after Eu(III) desorption, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of [email protected] composites were responsible for radionuclide sorption, and that radionuclides can hardly be extracted from the nitrogen-containing functional groups. Therefore, the chemical affinity of radionuclides for nitrogen-containing functional groups is stronger than that for oxygen-containing functional groups. This paper focused on the application of [email protected] composites as suitable materials for the preconcentration and removal of lanthanides and actinides from aqueous solutions in environmental pollution management in a wide range of acidic to alkaline conditions.