A self-assembled supramolecular organic material for selective extraction of uranium from aqueous solution

A supramolecular organic material MA-IPA containing melamine and isophthalic acid was prepared by low-temperature hydrothermal reaction, with an attempt to develop a functional sorbent with high-perform ability for the separation of uranium from aqueous solution. The obtained supramolecular material shows good uranium affinity, which may be due to the large amount of nitrogen and oxygen donors. The effects of initial pH, contact time, initial uranium concentration and temperature on the sorption behavior of uranium by MA-IPA were systematically explored. The maximum sorption capacity of uranium on MA-IPA is found to be 317 mg g−1 at pH 4.5, while the selectivity is higher than 56% over other 10 co-existing metal cations. The significance outcomes in this work can expand the application of supramolecular materials, especially in the separation of radionuclides and other metal cation from aqueous solution.