A Poly(acrylonitrile)-Functionalized Porous Aromatic Framework Synthesized by Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization for the Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

作者：Yue Yanfeng^*; Zhang Chenxi; Tang Qing; Mayes Richard T; Liao Wei Po; Liao Chen; Tsouris Costas; Stankovich Joseph J; Chen Jihua; Hensley Dale K; Abney Carter W; Jiang De en^*; Brown Suree; Dai Sheng^*

来源：Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2016, 55(15): 4125-4129.

DOI：10.1021/acs.iecr.5b03372

In order to ensure a sustainable reserve of fuel for nuclear power generation, tremendous research efforts have been devoted to developing advanced sorbent materials for extracting uranium from seawater. In this work, a porous aromatic framework (PAF) was surface-functionalized with poly(acrylonitrile) through atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Batches of this adsorbent were conditioned with potassium hydroxide (KOH) at room temperature or 80 degrees C prior to contact with a uranium-spiked seawater simulant, with minimal differences in uptake observed as a function of conditioning temperature. A maximum capacity of 4.81 g-U/kg-ads was obtained following 42 days contact with uranium-spiked filtered environmental seawater, which demonstrates a comparable adsorption rate. A kinetic investigation revealed extremely rapid uranyl uptake, with more than 80% saturation reached within 14 days. Relying on the semiordered structure of the PAF adsorbent, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal cooperative interactions between multiple adsorbent groups yield a strong driving force for uranium binding.

• 出版日期2016-4-20