Functionalized Polyethyleneimine Adsorbent for Efficient and Selective Uranium Extraction from Aqueous Solution

Huijun Yan (), Long Huo, Hong Gao, Xuanyi Li and Jianwei Bai ()
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Huijun Yan: Department of Chemistry, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China
Long Huo: Key Laboratory of Superlight Material and Surface Technology, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China
Hong Gao: Department of Chemistry, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China
Xuanyi Li: Department of Chemistry, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China
Jianwei Bai: Key Laboratory of Superlight Material and Surface Technology, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: The sustainable treatment of uranium-containing wastewater is of significant importance for environmental protection. This study reports a novel Polyethyleneimine-4-cyanobenzaldehyde/p-Phthalaldehyde-Amidoxime (PEI-PAC-AO) adsorbent for the effective extraction of uranium from aqueous solutions. The structural and performance characteristics of the adsorbents were analyzed through FT-IR, TGA, SEM, CA, and ICP-MS. Adsorption mechanisms were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), revealing that uranium adsorption is due to coordination with N and O atoms in the amidoxime groups. Batch adsorption experiments showed that PEI-PAC-AO exhibited excellent removal efficiency at pH 6. The static adsorption performance better fits the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Adsorption results indicated that the removal extent of uranium ions remained at 80% after nine consecutive adsorption cycles using 0.5 M nitric acid as the eluent. These findings suggest that PEI-PAC-AO is a sustainable and promising material for the efficient removal of uranium from wastewater, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach that contributes to environmentally responsible wastewater treatment strategies.

Keywords: polyethyleneimine; uranium adsorption; amidoxime; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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