Electrochemical deposition of uranium oxide with an electrocatalytically active electrode using double potential step technique

The development of effective uranium-removal techniques is of great significance to the environment and human health. In this work, a double potential step technique (DPST) was applied to remove U(VI) from uranium-containing wastewater using a carbon felt electrode modified by graphene oxide/phytic acid composite (GO-PA@CF). The application of DPST can inhibit water splitting and prevent GO-PA from adsorbing other interfering ions in wastewater. The GO-PA composite can effectively accelerate the electrochemical reduction rate of U(VI), which significantly improved the electrochemical deposition rate of uranium oxide. As a result, the maximum removal efficiency and maximum removal capacity of GO-PA@CF electrode reached 98.7% and 1149.3 mg/g, respectively. The removal efficiency remained 97.2% after five cycles of reuse. Moreover, the removal efficiency of GO-PA@CF electrode can reach more than 70% in simulated wastewater. A double potential step technique was applied to remove U(VI) from uranium-containing wastewater using a carbon felt electrode modified by graphene oxide/phytic acid composite. This removal system showed an excellent removal capacity and a remarkable reusability.