A Perylene diimide-Based Organic Microcrystal for the Efficient Removal of Uranium Dissolved in Aqueous Solution

Many types of materials have been studied as sorbents to capture radionuclides such as cesium, iodide and uranium. In this study, an organic microcrystals derived from perylenediimide was synthesized and tested for the removal of uranium dissolved in acidic aqueous solution. The resultant adsorption capacity towards uranium was among the highest ever reported. Other characteristics including selectivity, kinetics and pH dependence is under investigation. A preliminary experiment for applying an organic microcrystal to uranium capture from aqueous solution has been performed successfully. T-PR microcrystal exhibited an excellent capability to remove a large amount of uranium from water and its capacity was among the highest reported so far. We hypothesize that positively charged uranyl ions bind to negatively charged carboxylates on the organic microcrystals. In order to figure out the adsorption mechanism, deliberate studies are required, utilizing spectroscopic and structural analysis tools such as infrared and X-ray diffraction spectroscopies. Nevertheless, perylene-diimide derivatives as sorbent materials appear to be one of the good research targets for the remediation of the uranium contaminated environment.