The
urgent need to efficiently and rapidly decontaminate uranium
contamination in aquatic environments underscores its significance
for ecological preservation and environmental restoration. Herein,
a series of titanium-doped zirconium-based metal–organic frameworks
were meticulously synthesized through a stepwise process. The resultant
hybrid bimetallic materials, denoted as NU-Zr-n%Ti,
exhibited remarkable efficiency in eliminating uranium (U (VI)) from
aqueous solution. Batch experiments were executed to comprehensively
assess the adsorption capabilities of NU-Zr-n%Ti.
Notably, the hybrid materials exhibited a substantial increase in
adsorption capacity for U (VI) compared to the parent NU-1000 framework.
Remarkably, the optimized NU-Zr-15%Ti displayed a noteworthy adsorption
capacity (∼118 mg g-1) along with exceptionally
rapid kinetics at pH 4.0, surpassing that of pristine NU-1000 by a
factor of 10. This heightened selectivity for U (VI) persisted even
when diverse ions exist. The dominant mechanisms driving this high
adsorption capacity were identified as the robust electrostatic attraction
between the negatively charged surface of NU-Zr-15%Ti and positively
charged U (VI) species as well as surface complexation. Consequently,
NU-Zr-15%Ti emerges as a promising contender for addressing uranium-laden
wastewater treatment and disposal due to its favorable sequestration
performance.