Electrospun polyamidoxime nanofibers for efficient photo-assist reduction and immobilization of uranium(VI)

The synergistic photocatalysis and adsorption of uranium(VI) (U(VI)) are promising strategies for extracting uranium from seawater. In this study, a porous polyamidoxime/zeolite imidazole framework-8/Ti3C2 (PAO/ZIF/MXene) nanofiber film was prepared using electrospinning. The ZIF-8/MXene composite in PAO catalyzed the reduction of uranium under light, adsorbed uranium on the active sites of PAO, and produced reactive oxygen species to prevent unwanted bacterial adhesion on the surface. The adsorption capacity reached 740.8 mg-U/g-Ads after 10 h under simulated one-sun irradiation. The adsorption process conformed to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Moreover, the PAO/ZIF/MXene nanofibers exhibited good cyclic stability, and acid and alkaline resistance. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbent under visible light irradiation was 6.90 mg-U/g-Ads, thus exhibiting a good adsorption performance. These properties suggest that the PAO/ZIF/MXene nanofibers are promising materials for uranium extraction from seawater.