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U(VI) adsorption behavior onto polypyrrole coated 3R-MoS2 nanosheets prepared with the molten salt electrolysis method

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Abstract

To improve the separation capacity of uranium in aqueous solutions, 3R-MoS2 nanosheets were prepared with molten salt electrolysis and further modified with polypyrrole (PPy) to synthesize a hybrid nanoadsorbent (PPy/3R-MoS2). The preparation conditions of PPy/3R-MoS2 were investigated and the obtained nanosheets were characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that PPy/3R-MoS2 exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity toward U(VI) compared to pure 3R-MoS2 and PPy; the maximum adsorption was 200.4 mg/g. The adsorption mechanism was elucidated with XPS and FTIR: (1) negatively charged PPy/3R-MoS2 nanosheets attracted UO 2+2 by an electrostatic interaction; (2) exposed C, N, Mo, and S atoms complexed with U(VI) through coordination; (3) Mo in the complex partly reduced the adsorbed U(VI) to U(IV), which further regenerated the adsorption point and continuously adsorbed U(VI). The design of the PPy/3R-MoS2 composite with a high adsorption capacity and chemical stability provides a new direction for the removal of radionuclide.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21906019, 21906018, 21561002, 21866004, and 21866003), the Science & Technology Support Program of Jiangxi Province, China (No. 2018ACB21007), the Jiangxi Program of Academic and Technical Leaders of Major Disciplines, China (No. 20182BCB22011), the Project of the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education, China (Nos. GJJ160550, GJJ180385, and GJJ180400).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Yuhui Liu, Shuang Zhang, Yuling Lin, Yingcai Wang, Youqun Wang, Ying Dai, Xiaohong Cao, Zhibin Zhang & Yunhai Liu

  2. School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Yuhui Liu, Meng Tang, Yingcai Wang & Youqun Wang

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  1. Yuhui Liu
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  2. Meng Tang
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  3. Shuang Zhang
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Liu, Y., Tang, M., Zhang, S. et al. U(VI) adsorption behavior onto polypyrrole coated 3R-MoS2 nanosheets prepared with the molten salt electrolysis method. Int J Miner Metall Mater 29, 479–489 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-020-2154-5

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