Mesoporous assembly of nanostructures derived from Cu-based coordination polymers for iodine capture and photocatalysis

The creation of superior adsorbents is crucial for the extremely effective capture of radioctive iodine from solvents or vapor, which is a difficult challenge for the disposal of nuclear waste and environmental protection. In this work, a series of novel nanostructures were prepared by a pyrolysis method using two Cu-based coordination polymers as precursors. The as-synthesized nanostructures were fully characterized and the iodine sorption/release capabilities have been investigated in detail. By virtually completely removing iodine with a sorption capacity of 599.73 mg g−1, the best iodine sorption was achieved. Extensive experimental data show that chemisorption was used to collect the iodine. In addition, nanostructures also showed excellent recyclability due to their high stability, and the maximum sorption amount could be retained after four cycles. Furthermore, the dye photocatalytic properties of six nanostructures have also been investigated in detail. This discovery offers a fresh possible use for nanostructures in reducing environmental pollution.