Novel positively-charged bioderived polymer nanofilms for nuclear wastewater decontamination

In this study, we focused on the effective disposal of radioactive wastewater through the development of nanofiltration membranes using biomass materials. We developed functionalized nanofilms using a bio-derived polymer for the decontamination of nuclear wastewater. The synthesis involved a straightforward interfacial polymerization (IP) process, followed by post-functionalization with polyethyleneimine (PEI). We investigated the impact of curdlan self-assembly on membrane separation performance, both pre- and post-IP reaction. Simultaneous self-assembly of curdlan and PEI grafting led to membranes exhibiting superior separation performance. By manipulating PEI molecular weights, we optimized the membranes' physicochemical properties, leading to superior separation efficiency. As a result, exceptional rejections of Co2+, Sr2+, and Cs+ ions were achieved, with rejection rates reaching 95.5 %, 93.7 %, and 92.54 %, respectively. Furthermore, long-term stability experiments validated the membrane's potential for purifying nuclear wastewater. These findings hold promise for the application of biomaterial-based membranes in the treatment of radioactive nuclear wastewater.