Effective adsorption of U(VI) onto phosphate- and amine-linker-based organic polymer

The efficient removal of uranium from aqueous solutions is critical for ecological safety. Herein, a novel phytic acid and melamine covalent polymer adsorbent (named PEM) was designed and synthesized through a simple one-pot method, and its adsorption performance and mechanism of U(VI) were systematically investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity on U(VI) achieved 505.05 mg g −1 at pH 4.0, calculated with the Langmuir model, which was much higher than most other adsorbents under the same environment. Importantly, the reaction reached equilibrium quickly in the initial 20 min at 298 K. The sorption process conformed to a pseudo-second-order kinetics model and Langmuir model, indicating that the chemisorption of the monolayer was dominant. Overall, the synthesized PEM could be utilized as an easy, efficient, less time-consuming material for the removal of uranium from acidic nuclear wastewater. Graphical abstract