Nitrogen-functionalized Zeolites for Enhanced Cobalt Decontamination

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-5261-7

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 111-117.doi: 10.1007/s40242-026-5261-7

• Research Articles • Previous Articles Next Articles

Nitrogen-functionalized Zeolites for Enhanced Cobalt Decontamination

MA Zhonglin, LI Lingyi, HE Ke, ZHANG Wenqi, PENG Fu, SONG Wanrong, HE Linwei, JIANG Zhen, LI Jie, CHEN Long, WANG Shuao

State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China

Received:2025-10-31 Online:2026-02-01 Published:2026-01-28
Contact: CHEN Long,E-mail:chenlong3@suda.edu.cn;WANG Shuao,E-mail:shuaowang@suda.edu.cn E-mail:chenlong3@suda.edu.cn;shuaowang@suda.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program, China (No. 2024YFCY0006), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22506141, 22425061, 22176139, U2267222), the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (Nos. BX20230252, 2023M742538), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (No. BK20240831), the Suzhou Fundamental Research Project, China (No. SJC2023001), and the New Cornerstone Science Foundation Through the Xplorer Prize.

Abstract

Abstract: Efficient removal of radioactive cobalt ions is essential for ensuring the safety of nuclear power operations. Although natural or synthetic zeolites exhibit moderate removal performance for Co²⁺, they suffer from insufficient removal depth due to strongly relying on sole cation-exchange mechanism. To tackle this challenge, we successfully synthesized a series of nitrogen-functionalized NaA zeolites via an in situ strategy. Among them, the imidazoline-functionalized zeolite (IM-NaA) exhibits a distribution coefficient (K_d) of 3.95×10⁶ mL/g, which is an order of magnitude higher than that of pristine NaA, revealing enhanced affinity toward Co²⁺ ions. These zeolites also feature rapid adsorption kinetics and satisfied selectivity. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirms that the enhanced capture is achieved through the concurrent processes of Na⁺/Co²⁺ exchange and coordination between Co²⁺ and the functionalized nitrogen sites. This study provides an effective strategy for the rational design of zeolite-based adsorbents for the deep decontamination of cobalt ions.

Key words: Zeolite, Cobalt, Adsorption, In situ synthesis, Functional modification

MA Zhonglin, LI Lingyi, HE Ke, ZHANG Wenqi, PENG Fu, SONG Wanrong, HE Linwei, JIANG Zhen, LI Jie, CHEN Long, WANG Shuao. Nitrogen-functionalized Zeolites for Enhanced Cobalt Decontamination[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(1): 111-117.

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Nitrogen-functionalized Zeolites for Enhanced Cobalt Decontamination

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