Abstract
Preparation of graphene aerogel capsulated with degradation products of phytic acid and the application for efficient and rapid elimination uranium from water.
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•Designed a novel graphene aerogel capsulated with degraded products of phytic acid.•The loading capacity of degraded products in graphene aerogel was higher than 85 g/g.•The degraded products released out to form crystals with uranium in solutions.•The uranium elimination capacity could reach up to 3550 mg/g within 40 min.•The material presented high removal rate in different water systems.
Developing convenient and rapid method for eliminating uranium from massive contaminated water under emergency conditions is highly needed. Herein we developed a novel chemical precipitation strategy based on graphene aerogel capsulated with the degradation products of phytic acid (PAGA). With hydrothermal treatment, graphene oxide was twisted and reduced to generate aerogel, acting as an encapsulator. At the same time, phytic acid (PA) was degraded into various compounds and capsulated into graphene aerogel with a high loading capacity of 85 g/g. After adding PAGA into uranium contaminated water, the degradation products were released out of GA skeleton to combined with uranium and form sediments. The elimination capacity reached up to 3550 mg/g within 40 min and the obtained sediments possessed good stability in the following 72 h. PAGA capsule also presented high removal rate in various water systems, making it a kind of versatile material in the elimination of uranium under emergency conditions.