Facile preparation of polyphenolic hydroxyl functionalized uranium-selective chelating sorbent: simple oxidation of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer microparticles by Hummers method

Hummers method, a classical approach for preparation of graphitic oxide, was employed for the first time to prepare polymer-based uranium selective chelating sorbent by directly oxidizing styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer microparticles synthesized through the mix-solvothermal method in a mild binary solvent system. The resulting material was found rich in phenolic hydroxyl groups (17 mmol/g) using techniques such as FT-IR and XPS. Batch adsorption experiments proved that the chelating sorbent exhibited excellent uranium selectivity from multi-ion solution containing 12 coexisting ions with 0.45 mmol/g of uranium adsorption capacity accounting for up to 52% of the total adsorption capacity, while 373 mg/g of the maximum adsorption capacity for the sorbent was obtained in the “pure” U(VI) ion solution. The proposed method has the advantages of simpleness, cheapness, and high yield of phenolic hydroxyl groups, which could provide a new and generally applicable approach for facile preparation of polyphenolic materials based on phenyl-rich polymer.

Graphical AbstractFigure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Hummers method was firstly used to functionalize styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer.
► Phenolic-hydroxyl functionalized U(VI)-chelating sorbent was successfully prepared.
► About 17 mmol/g of phenolic hydroxyl groups was found on the material surface.
► Selectivity of the sorbent for U(VI) increased over 4 times after the oxidation.