Mechanistic insights into uranium (VI) uptake on a chitosan–natural clay composite


ŞİMŞEK S., Koçak N., Erden F., KOÇBULUT F., Danacı İ.

Structural Chemistry, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11224-026-02854-x
  • Dergi Adı: Structural Chemistry
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Adsorption, Chitosan, Illite, Uranium
  • Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The synthesis of chitosan-illite composite and its uranium adsorption properties were investigated. Structural analyses showed that the composite was successfully formed and provided a surface rich in functional groups. Uranium adsorption studies demonstrated that, unlike conventional chitosan-based composites, the composite exhibits adsorption capacity demonstrated a slight dependence on pH, with a gradual enhancement observed as the pH level increased. The maximum adsorption capacity was determined as 0.305 mol kg− 1 according to the Langmuir model. The kinetic behavior of adsorption was shown to follow the Elovich model, with an initial rate of adsorption of 0.0671 mol kg− 1 min− 1. Thermodynamic findings indicated that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. Experimental and structural analyses indicated that uranium adsorption proceeds through a combination of surface complexation followed by the formation of uranium-rich surface aggregates at higher surface loadings on the chitosan–illite composite. These findings have shown that this synthesized composite forms a stable surface for uranium removal studies and can be used over a wide pH range.