Facile Fabrication of Nanofibrillated Chitin/Ag₂O Heterostructured Aerogels with High Iodine Capture Efficiency.

ABSTRACT: Nanofibrillated chitin/Ag₂O aerogels were fabricated for radioiodine removal. Chitin was first fabricated into nanofibers with abundant acetyl amino groups (-NHCOCH₃) on the surface. Then, highly porous chitin nanofiber (ChNF) aerogels were obtained via freeze-drying. The ChNF aerogels exhibited a low bulk density of 2.19?mg/cm³ and a high specific surface area of 179.71?m²/g. Ag₂O nanoparticles were evenly anchored on the surfaces of ChNF scaffolds via strong interactions with -NHCOCH₃ groups, subsequently yielding Ag₂O@ChNF heterostructured aerogels. The composites were used as efficient absorbents to remove radioiodine anions from water and capture a high amount of I₂ vapor in the forms of AgI and iodine molecules. The adsorption capacity of the composite monoliths can reach up to 2.81?mmol/g of I^- anions. The high adsorbability of the composite monolithic aerogel signifies its potential applications in radioactive waste disposal.

SUBMITTER: Gao R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5487321 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature