Agmatine ligand functionalized magnetic alginate beads for removal of U(VI) ions from solution

In the presented work, magnetic alginate (MA) beads were prepared and activated with epichlorohydrin and then functionalized with agmatine ligands (MA-A). The materials were analyzed by FTIR, SEM, XRD, and BET methods. The adsorption capacity of the MA-A for U(VI) was 451.4 mg/g. The Langmuir isotherm model well described the experimental data for the adsorption of U(VI) ions. The second-order kinetic model data proposed that the adsorption of U(VI) ions preferred the chemisorption mechanism. The adsorption enthalpy of the MA-A beads for U(VI) ions was 35.4 kJ/mol. After seven cycles of use, the adsorption capacity of MA-A beads was not significantly changed for U(VI) ions. Finally, the functionalization of MA beads with agmatine ligand can be a good candidate for applications for environmental technologies to remove metal ions. (author)