Polyaniline‐Modified Praseodymium–Zinc Layered Double Hydroxide for Efficient Iodine Capture

ABSTRACT Radioactive iodine isotopes, particularly 131 I, play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of various cancer types. Nonetheless, the presence of 131 I raises significant concerns due to its high environmental mobility and long‐term radiotoxic effects. The development of effective methods for simultaneously removing and capturing iodide (I − ) and iodate (IO 3− ) from aqueous solutions remains a considerable challenge. Herein, a new nanomaterial has been designed and synthesized to capture the 131 I isotope in cyclohexane solution. In this work, praseodymium–zinc layered double hydroxide (Pr‐Zn/LDH) has been coated with polyaniline (PANI@LDH) via an ex situ fabrication technique. The as‐synthesized nanomaterial is characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron micrograph (TEM). The nanomaterial exhibits a high I 2 capture efficiency within a short period (301 mg g −1 on the adsorbent within 3.33 h). The enhanced I 2 capture efficiency of the nanomaterial is attributed to a conjugated π‐electron‐rich system, microporosity, multiple functional groups, such as amines and ‐OH groups, and electrostatic interactions between the LDH layers and PANI. The pseudo‐second‐order (PSO) and Langmuir models explain the kinetics and isotherm data for I 2 adsorption on PANI@LDH. The storage and capture of radioiodine from wastewater utilized in the process is environmentally benign, cost‐effective, and easily scalable.