Balsa wood/ZIF-8 composite material for efficient uranium adsorption from aqueous solutions

With the rapid growth of nuclear power generation and fuel processing, the treatment of nuclear industry wastewater has become a major problem, and if not handled properly, it will pose a potential threat to the ecological environment and human health. A novel ZIF-8@Balsa wood composite aerogel was synthesized for efficient uranium adsorption from water. The material exhibited a maximum capacity of 399 mg·g⁻ 1 at pH 4, following the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. It demonstrated excellent selectivity, reusability over four cycles, and effective performance in complex water matrices. The composite presents a sustainable adsorbent for uranium recovery in environmental remediation.