Abstract
In this study, porous magnetic Ni0.6Fe2.4O4 nanorods (MNs) were successfully synthesized just by calcining the Ni0.6Fe2.4C2O4·2H2O precursor. MNs exhibited porous structure with disorderly nanorods based on the characterizations. Experimental results showed that the removal of U(VI) by MNs can reach equilibrium within 150 min at 293 K with a maximal adsorption capacity of 57.7 mg/g. Besides, the adsorption performance was highly dependent on solution pH values, while ion strength and ion species had little influence. The U(VI) adsorption onto the MNs was fitted better by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the isothermal data can be better described by the Langmuir model, suggesting a monolayer adsorption process. Thermodynamic studies indicated the adsorption process to be spontaneous and endothermic. In addition, this magnetic material can achieve convenient separation using an external magnet. Hence, the MNs can be utilized as an effective candidate to enrich and separate U(VI) from aqueous solutions.