Loofah sponge immobilized ZIF-8 for efficient adsorption removal of U (VI)

Efficient removal of radioactive and toxic uranium (U) from wastewater is highly desired. In this work, a novel adsorbent was prepared via in situ introducing zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) onto the hydrolyzed biomass loofah sponge (HLS) for the removal of U (VI). Benefiting from the introduction of ZIF-8, the physical and chemical properties of the composite adsorbent were significantly improved, leading to an enhanced U (VI) adsorption capacity. The results show that the maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent toward U (VI) is 244.03 mg/g under the optimal conditions. The adsorption kinetic parameters and isotherm of U (VI) well follow the pseudo second order model and Langmuir model, respectively. Besides, the thermodynamic parameters shows that the adsorption process of U (VI) is a spontaneous process with an exothermic nature. More importantly, the prepared adsorbent has a good reuseability and anti-interference capability during the adsorption of U (VI). This work supplies a new routine to design highly performed adsorbents for the removal of U (VI).