Removal U(VI) from artificial seawater using facilely and covalently grafted polyacrylonitrile fibers with lysine

Polyacrylonitrile fibers (PANF) covalently modified with lysine (PAN-Lys) was facilely synthesized and carefully characterized. The critical factors affecting U(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution were exploited, such as initial pH, contact time, concentration and temperature. The adsorption process is strongly dependent on solution pH. With excellent adsorption capacity and high affinity toward U(VI), the process for U(VI) is extremely rapid and the equilibrium can be reached within 20   min. The thermodynamics and kinetics were strictly evaluated. In addition, the hypothetical adsorption mechanisms were proposed. Moreover, the adsorption behavior at low concentrations (3–30   μg   L −1 ) in simulated seawater was also investigated. Therefore, PAN-Lys can be potentially utilized for the efficient removal of U(VI) from seawater.