Cobalt and nickel ferrocyanide-functionalized magnetic adsorbent for the removal of radioactive cesium

Cobalt ferrocyanide (CoFC) or nickel ferrocyanide (NiFC) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were fabricated for efficient removal of radioactive cesium, followed by rapid magnetic separation of the absorbent from contaminated water. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, synthesized using a co-precipitation method, were coated with succinic acid (SA) to immobilize the Co or Ni ions through metal coordination to carboxyl groups in the SA. CoFC or NiFC was subsequently formed on the surfaces of the MNPs as Co or Ni ions coordinated with the hexacyanoferrate ions. The CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs possess good saturation magnetization values (43.2 emu∙g^-1 for the CoFC-MNPs, and 47.7 emu∙g^-1 for the NiFC-MNPs). The fabricated CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and DLS. The adsorption capability of the CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs in removing cesium ions from water was also investigated. Batch experiments revealed that the maximum adsorption capacity values were 15.63 mg∙g^-1 (CoFC-MNPs) and 12.11 mg∙g^-1 (NiFC-MNPs). Langmuir/ Freundlich adsorption isotherm equations were used to fit the experimental data and evaluate the adsorption process. The CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs exhibited a removal efficiency exceeding 99.09% for radioactive cesium from ¹³⁷Cs solution (18-21 Bq∙g^-1). The adsorbent selectively adsorbed ¹³⁷Cs, even in the presence of competing cations