Combining synergistic interaction and ion imprinting to improve adsorption capacity for selective uranium extraction from seawater

Abstract To ensuring the demand for uranium by utilizing unconventional uranium resources, the development of materials for selective capturing uranyl ions is increasingly important. Hence, the ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) based on specific binding sites was designed and prepared for selective enrichment of uranium from seawater. The existence of specific adsorption sites and the corresponding adsorption mechanism were confirmed by a series of experimental analyses and supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Under the influence of seawater environment, the maximal uranium uptake of IIP reached 58.31 mg g−1. Significantly, the mass ratio of U and V (Sr or Ni) adsorbed by IIP was greater than 15, and the adsorption capacity did not change obviously after five cycles of use. The strategy combining ion imprinting and synergistic interaction is expected to improve uranium extraction performance.