Efficient uptake of uranium(VI) by a layered manganese thiophosphite intercalated with NH4+

The efficient and highly selective recovery of UO 2 2+ ions from complex aqueous solutions is achieved by a recyclable adsorbent of NH 4 + -intercalated MnPS 3 for radionuclide remediation and uranium shortage alleviation. • UO 2 2+ uptake of NH 4 + -intercalated MnPS 3 (N-MPS) was firstly studied. • N-MPS exhibits high capacity (854.36 mg/g) and high selectivity for uranium uptake. • N-MPS has good pH durability, β / γ irradiation resistance and excellent reusability. • The mechanism is the synergy of ion exchange and surface adsorption. • Layered sulfide Intercalation is proven effective towards uranium adsorbents. Uranium (U), as a basic raw material for the nuclear industry, poses long-term strong chemical toxicity and radiological hazard to the living system if not properly treated. Herein, the efficient separation of U(VI) has been achieved by a layered manganese thiophosphite intercalated with NH 4 + , namely (NH 4 ) 0.48 Mn 0.76 PS 3 ·H 2 O (N-MPS). N-MPS has good pH durability and β / γ irradiation resistance, and exhibits an outstanding capacity ( q m U = 854.36 mg/g), fast kinetics, and superb selectivity towards U(VI). Impressively, the obtained K d U values in U(VI)-contaminated tap water and lake water are up to 2.23 × 10 4 mL/g. We further find that the adsorbent can be completely regenerated by a mild and eco-friendly method and reused for at least five cycles. By using various characterizations (Raman, XPS, TEM, Zeta potential and EXAFS) and batch adsorption experiments, the adsorption mechanism of N-MPS for U(VI) has been revealed, that is, the synergy of ion exchange between U(VI) ions and interlayered NH 4 + ions and surface adsorption of N-MPS. This work not only confirms that N-MPS has excellent application potential for highly efficient incarceration of U(VI) from wastewater, but also paves the way to develop new high-performance adsorbents by intercalation.