Monolithic Cu/Al2O3-palygorskite composite aerogel for high-efficiency iodine elimination in a multimedia environment

Radioactive iodine has highly radioactive and biological toxicity, and its effective recovery is of primary importance. However, few materials can show good iodine adsorption in different media. Herein, Cu/Al2O3-Pal aerogels with improved mechanical properties and hierarchical pore structures were prepared by constructing the three-dimensional support skeleton of the aerogel with palygorskite fibers. The Cu/Al2O3-Pal aerogel exhibited excellent adsorption properties for I− (aqueous phase, 264–411 mg/g) and I2 (organic phase, 503–744 mg/g), I2 vapor (459–1122 mg/g), and CH3I vapor (559–1032 mg/g). Notably, the aerogel also exhibited ultra-high removal rates for trace iodide in solution (>90 %) and was able to efficiently convert to stable CuI. Importantly, the Cu/Al2O3-Pal aerogel can be prepared directly for use as a monolithic material, allowing for an easy recovery process. Overall, our work demonstrates the great potential of Cu/Al2O3-Palx wt% aerogels for radioactive iodine elimination.