Facile synthesis of silica-polymer monoliths using nonionic triblock copolymer surfactant for efficient removal of radioactive pollutants from contaminated seawater

Authors: Abdelmageed, N., El-Said, W.A., Younes, A.A., Atrees, M.S., Farag, A.B., Elshehy, E.A., Abdelkader, A.M.

Journal: Journal of Applied Polymer Science

Publication Date: 15/11/2021

Volume: 138

Issue: 43

eISSN: 1097-4628

ISSN: 0021-8995

DOI: 10.1002/app.51263

Abstract:

Here, we introduce a highly porous functional mesoscopically silica-polymer composite based on silica monolith-conjugated thiourea/formaldehyde copolymer. The developed nanostructure enables selective and fast removal of the radioactive pollutants strontium (Sr[II]) and cesium (Cs[I]) ions from contaminated seawater. The silica/polymer composite was synthesized by introducing thiourea/formaldehyde solution into tetramethoxy orthosilicate/triblock copolymer emulsion. The chemical and textural features of the synthesized silica/thiourea-formaldehyde polymer composite (SiO2-TUF) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, dynamic light scattering, thermal analysis, and N2 adsorption/desorption measurements. The synthesized microporous SiO2-TUF showed excellent cesium and strontium ions removal ability, reaching a maximum adsorption capacity of 78.2 and 40.3 mg g⁻¹ for Sr(II) and Cs(I), respectively. When tested with seawater contaminated with radioactive cesium and strontium, SiO2-TUF was able to selectively target Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions. Among the different types of adsorption isotherms investigated, Sips isotherm showed the best fit with R² > 0.990. The kinetic studies showed that the pseudo-second-order model gave the best description of the uptake process.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/35697/

Source: Scopus