Sol-gel hydrothermal synthesis of nano crystalline silicotitanate and its strontium and cesium adsorption

Enhanced adsorption dynamics and thermal stability of radioactive Sr(II) by lamellar Nb-doped sodium vanadosilicate via self-assembly and conditional natroxalate intercalation

To promote the environmentally friendly and sustainable development of nuclear energy, it is imperative to address the treatment of wastewater generated by the nuclear industry. This necessitates the enhancement of fission product reclamation efficiency post-treatment. This study aims to combine defect control and confined self-assembly strategies for the precise design of interlayer spacing (14.6 Å to 15.1 Å), leading to the fabrication of conditional natroxalate-functionalized vanadosilicate, and its potential application in the efficient adsorption and reclamation of 90Sr. Na0.03Natroxalate2.47Si1.44Nb0.08V1.92O5·1.2 H2O (Nb4-NxSiVO), with a layer spacing of 14.9 Å, exhibits the highest Sr(II) adsorption capacity (248.76 mg/g), enabling effective separation with Cs+. The natroxalate embedded within the confined interlayers demonstrates excellent stability, offering rapid (within 10 min) and stable adsorption sites for Sr(II). Furthermore, Nb4-NxSiVO exhibits a wide band gap and exceptional thermal stability before and after adsorption, rendering hard desorption of 90Sr. The findings highlight the potential of Nb4-NxSiVO as a promising adsorbent for rapid and selective purification of 90Sr-containing wastewater and further application in nuclear batteries.