High-Efficiency Adsorption of Uranium from Wastewater Using Graphene Oxide/Graphene Oxide Nanoribbons/Chitosan Nanocomposite Aerogels

Abstract

A chemical exfoliation and freeze-drying technique was used to create graphene oxide/graphene oxide nanoribbons/chitosan aerogels (GO/GONRs/CS). Aerogels were utilized to study uranium adsorption through batch experiments. Environmental influences on U(VI) adsorption were studied, including the starting concentration of U(VI), contact time, pH, and temperature. In order to characterize the composite, FTIR, SEM, XRD, and TEM analyses were used. A pseudo-second-order kinetic model may adequately represent the kinetics of U(VI) adsorption onto the surface of aerogels. The Freundlich model can explain the adsorption isotherm; the maximal adsorption capacity for U(VI) was determined to be 1208.85 mg/g; the adsorption process for U(VI) was endothermic, spontaneous, and pH-dependent; and the mechanism of adsorption is the chemisorption process. Chemisorption typically involves strong chemical interactions between the adsorbate (uranium ions) and the functional groups present on the surface of the adsorbent (the aerogel). Graphene oxide and graphene oxide nanoribbons contain oxygen-containing functional groups such as carboxyl (−COOH), hydroxyl (−OH), and epoxy (−O−) groups, which can act as active sites for chemical bonding. Chitosan, a polysaccharide derived from chitin, also possesses functional groups like amino (−NH2) and hydroxyl groups. Uranium ions, in their U(VI) form, can form chemical bonds with these functional groups through various mechanisms such as electrostatic interactions, complexation, and coordination bonds. The combination of graphene oxide-based materials and chitosan in the nanocomposite aerogel offers several advantages, including a large specific surface area, chemical stability, and the presence of functional groups for effective uranium adsorption.