Abstract
The effective removal of Cs-137(+) ions from contaminated groundwater and seawater and from radioactive nuclear waste solutions is crucial for public health and for the continuous operation of nuclear power plants. Various Cs-137(+) removers have been developed, but more effective Cs-137(+) removers are still needed. A novel microporous vanadosilicate with mixed-valence vanadium (V4+ and V5+) ions is now reported, which shows an excellent ability for Cs+ capture and immobilization from groundwater, seawater, and nuclear waste solutions. This material is superior to other known materials in terms of selectivity, capacity, and kinetics, and at very low Cs+ concentrations, it was found to be the most effective material for the removal of radioactive Cs+ ions under the test conditions. This novel vanadosilicate also contains hexadeca-coordinated Cs+ ions, which corresponds to the highest coordination number ever described.