RESEARCH ARTICLE

Synthesis of graphene oxide nanoribbons/chitosan composite membranes for the removal of uranium from aqueous solutions

  • Xuewen Hu 3 ,
  • Yun Wang , 1,3 ,
  • Jinbo Ou Yang 2 ,
  • Yang Li 3 ,
  • Peng Wu 3 ,
  • Hengju Zhang 3 ,
  • Dingzhong Yuan 1,2 ,
  • Yan Liu 1,2 ,
  • Zhenyu Wu 4 ,
  • Zhirong Liu 1
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  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
  • 2. School of Chemical Biology and Materials Science, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
  • 3. School of Nuclear Science and engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
  • 4. China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing 102413, China

Received date: 26 Jun 2019

Accepted date: 26 Aug 2019

Published date: 15 Dec 2020

Copyright

2020 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Abstract

In this study, a graphene oxide nanoribbons/chitosan (GONRs/CTS) composite membrane was successfully prepared by encapsulating CTS into GONRs, which were unzipped from multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The GONRs/CTS composite membrane so prepared was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effects of the experimental conditions such as the pH (2‒7), adsorbent dosage (10‒50 mg), experimental time (5 min–32 h), uranium concentration (25‒300 mg∙L−1), experimental temperature (298 K‒328 K) on the adsorption properties of the composite membrane for the removal of U(VI) were investigated. The results showed that the U(VI) adsorption process of the GONRs/CTS composite membrane was pH-dependent, rapid, spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-secondary kinetics and Langmuir models. The maximum U(VI) adsorption capacity of the GONRs/CTS composite membrane was calculated to be 320 mg∙g−1. Hence, the GONRs/CTS composite membrane prepared in this study was found to be suitable for separating and recovering uranium from wastewater.

Cite this article

Xuewen Hu , Yun Wang , Jinbo Ou Yang , Yang Li , Peng Wu , Hengju Zhang , Dingzhong Yuan , Yan Liu , Zhenyu Wu , Zhirong Liu . Synthesis of graphene oxide nanoribbons/chitosan composite membranes for the removal of uranium from aqueous solutions[J]. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, 2020 , 14(6) : 1029 -1038 . DOI: 10.1007/s11705-019-1898-9

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21601033, 21866006, 11875105, 21661003 and 11705027), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (No. 20192BAB202007), Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar of Jiangxi Province (No. 20171BCB23067), Open Project Foundation of Nuclear Technology Application Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center (East China University of Technology) (No. HJSJYB2016-6), Open Project Foundation of Stake key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment (East China University of Technology) (No. NRE1509), and Fundamental Science on Nuclear Wastes and Environmental Safety Laboratory (No. 16kfhk02)
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