Radiation Grafting Construction of Amidoxime-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes and Their Uranium Adsorption Performance Data

In this study, amidoxime-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (AO-MWCNTs) featuring a distinct core-shell “polymer brush” architecture were synthesized via a catalyst-free radiation-induced grafting polymerization (RIGP) strategy. The resulting adsorbent exhibited high affinity toward U(VI), achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 84.30 mg/g at pH 5.0.

Adsorption kinetics and isotherms aligned with the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models, respectively, indicating a chemisorption-dominated process on a heterogeneous surface. Furthermore, AO-MWCNTs demonstrated significant photothermal-enhanced adsorption capabilities. Under simulated solar irradiation (100 mW/cm² for 24 h), the material achieved near-complete removal of uranium (>99.99%), reducing residual concentrations below the limit of detection.