Use of nanotechnologies to minimize radionuclide contamination of the environment

New highly sophisticated sorption nanomaterials based on graphene, graphene oxide and their composite with organic and inorganic polymers were prepared to serve as prospective materials helping minimize radionuclide contamination of the environment. Other prepared prospective nanomaterials were oxides of metals (Ti, Al, and Ni) some of them were doped with Ag nanoparticles, modified polysaccharides with TiO₂. The prepared materials were characterized by methods of analysis of solid matter: X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, Infrared spectroscopy, measuring of specific surface area and porosity. The morphology of prepared materials was determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM). The prepared sorbents were tested for the sorption of the radionuclides ¹³⁷Cs, ⁸⁵Sr, ⁶⁰Co, ^152-154Eu and non-radioactive iodine as a representative of radioactive ¹³¹I. (author)