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Diglycolamic acid coated TiO2 microspheres for efficient uptake of uranium (VI) from aqueous solutions

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Abstract

In this study, we report the facile synthesis of diglycolamic acid (DGA)-coated titanium dioxide (TiO2) microspherical nano-particles (TMP-DGA) for effective extraction of uranium (U(VI)) from aqueous solutions. The physical properties of the as-prepared adsorbents were carefully investigated using BET and XRD, and the presence of DGA groups was verified using FTIR, TG–DTA, and SEM–EDAX. Batch experiments were performed to assess the extraction efficiency of U(VI). The Langmuir adsorption isotherm capacity of TMP-DGA towards U(VI) was determined to be 175.87 mg g−1 at pH 6, which is substantially greater than the maximum adsorption capacity of commercial TiO2. The addition of DGA groups to TiO2 enhanced the number of active sites and enabled excellent coordination with the U(VI) species. In the presence of several contemporaneous metal ions, it has also displayed strong selectivity towards U(VI). The plausible mechanism include electrostatic attraction between U(VI) species and the DGA groups. The results of these studies show that the reported material has a remarkable ability to be utilized as an adsorbent for the removal of U(VI) from aqueous medium.

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Abbreviations

TMP:

Titanium dioxide micro-spherical nanoparticles

DGA:

Diglycolamic acid

Co :

Initial concentration of metal ion in mg L−1

Ct :

Concentration of metal ion at time ‘t’ in mg L−1

Ce :

Concentration of metal ion at equilibrium in mg L−1

m:

Weight of the adsorbent in g

V:

Volume of solution in L

R:

Universal gas constant (J K−1 mol−1)

R2 :

Correlation coefficient

T:

Temperature (K)

t:

Adsorption time (min)

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar (SSN) Trust (Project File Number: SSN/IFFP/JANUARY 2019/1-16/16) for providing the necessary infrastructure and the financial support to execute this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, Tamil Nadu, 603110, India

    S. Priya & N. Priyadarshini

  2. Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600127, India

    P. Ilaiyaraja

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Priya, S., Priyadarshini, N. & Ilaiyaraja, P. Diglycolamic acid coated TiO2 microspheres for efficient uptake of uranium (VI) from aqueous solutions. J Radioanal Nucl Chem (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-024-09622-3

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