Radiation grafting of 1-vinyl-3-benzylimidazolium chloride onto silanized silica with different pore structures for the removal of ReO4− as an analogue for TcO4−

Selective adsorption of TcO 4 − from radioactive waste is important for the nuclear industry. In this work, three 1-vinyl-3 benzylimidazole chloride modified mesoporous silica bearing different pore volumes and specific surface areas were synthesized using radiation grafting. The effect of pore structure on the adsorption properties of the three adsorbents were studied. The adsorbents with bigger specific surface area and pore volume were conducive to ReO 4 − adsorption in terms of both adsorption rate and capacity. The prepared adsorbents displayed good radiation resistance under gamma rays in dry or wet conditions, and they could selectively remove ReO 4 − from simulated Hanford wastewater in column experiments.