Natural Polyphenol Modified Cotton for Efficient Uranium Extraction from Seawater

Exploiting advanced regenerable adsorbents for efficient uranium adsorption from seawater is a promising route to address uranium resources shortages. Herein, inspired by the mechanism of plant homeostasis, natural polyphenols are combined with cotton matrix to construct a polyphenol-functionalized cotton (Cot-TA-APTES) for efficient uranium extraction. Compared with pristine cotton, the polyphenol-functionalized cotton displays a rapid adsorption kinetic, and the maximum extraction efficiency for U(VI) is up 96.07% at pH 5.0 and 30[Formula: see text]C. Additionally, Cot-TA-APTES shows a higher adsorption selection ability for U(VI) than other interfering ions. Based on FT-IR and XPS, the excellent extraction efficiency and favorable selectivity of Cot-TA-APTES for U(VI) are due to the combination of U(VI) and functional coating groups. This natural polyphenol/cotton-based absolutely bio-derived adsorbent provides a novel and potentially applicable strategy for constructing an adsorbent for nuclear environmental remediation and uranium extraction from seawater with cost-effective and biosafety.