Facile synthesis of silica‐polymer monoliths using nonionic triblock copolymer surfactant for efficient removal of radioactive pollutants from contaminated seawater

Abstract

Here, we introduce a highly porous functional mesoscopically silica‐polymer composite based on silica monolith‐conjugated thiourea/formaldehyde copolymer. The developed nanostructure enables selective and fast removal of the radioactive pollutants strontium (Sr[II]) and cesium (Cs[I]) ions from contaminated seawater. The silica/polymer composite was synthesized by introducing thiourea/formaldehyde solution into tetramethoxy orthosilicate/triblock copolymer emulsion. The chemical and textural features of the synthesized silica/thiourea‐formaldehyde polymer composite (SiO2‐TUF) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, high‐resolution transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, dynamic light scattering, thermal analysis, and N2 adsorption/desorption measurements. The synthesized microporous SiO2‐TUF showed excellent cesium and strontium ions removal ability, reaching a maximum adsorption capacity of 78.2 and 40.3 mg g−1 for Sr(II) and Cs(I), respectively. When tested with seawater contaminated with radioactive cesium and strontium, SiO2‐TUF was able to selectively target Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions. Among the different types of adsorption isotherms investigated, Sips isotherm showed the best fit with R2 > 0.990. The kinetic studies showed that the pseudo‐second‐order model gave the best description of the uptake process.

Cubically cage-shaped mesoporous ordered silica for simultaneous visual detection and removal of uranium ions from contaminated seawater

“…Organic-inorganic hybrid materials are promising candidates as active materials for the chemical sensing and sorption processes from aqueous solutions because of their chemical and thermal stability, large specific surface area, and low toxicity to the aqueous environment. These structures combine the advantages of both organic and inorganic materials, allowing tuning their chemical, physical and morphological properties [23][24][25][26]. These structures' surface functionalizations can provide interesting chemical and physicochemical properties, enabling effective uranium treatment in complex environments [27][28][29].…”

Fast in‐situ synthesis of mesoporous Prussian blue‐silica nanocomposite for superior silver ions recovery performance

“…After a 24-h solvent extraction process using ethanol, the F108 of the as-made SiO 2 -Prussian blue sample was finally removed, and the SiO 2 -Prussian blue material was completely prepared. 24 The synthesis process of the SiO 2 -Prussian blue nanocomposite is described in Scheme 1.…”

“…Residual silver ion concentrations (C e , mg L −1 ) were measured using ICP-OES, and sorption capacity (q e , mg g −1 ) was calculated using Eqn (1). [24][25][26]…”

“…3 The Ag ions were able to easily enter the internal cavity due to the mesoporous architectures' large pore volumes and high surface area, which demonstrated a high capacity for adsorption and desorption. 23,24 Here, we show how the porous silica/Prussian blue composite can be used in practice to remove silver ions from aqueous solutions. This study's primary goal is to provide a thorough and detailed explanation of the Ag ions' adsorption behavior into the silica-Prussian blue composite.…”

Metal–Organic Frameworks Meet Polymers: From Synthesis Strategies to Healthcare Applications

“…Supramolecular templating for mesoporous structures has been inspired by established silica-preparation methods. [54,55] Essentially, this approach involves co-assembling structure-directing agents (SDAs) such as nonionic polymers into ordered mesoscale arrays through various noncovalent interactions. Commonly used pluronic nonionic polymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) blocks are potent SDAs.…”