(117aa) Metal Hexacyanoferrate-Embedded Electrospun PVA/CA Nanofiber for Effective Cesium Ions Remediation

With the increasing production of radioactive waste, efficient and rapid removal of cesium ions has become an important issue for reducing waste volume. This study presents a novel approach to immobilizing potassium copper hexacyanoferrate (KCuHCF) in a composite adsorbent for effective cesium ion separation. Using an electrospinning technique, a nanofiber matrix was created from a polymer blend of poly-vinyl alcohol and sodium alginate, and in situ immobilization of KCuHCF was achieved through the coordination effect of carboxylate functionality. The ratio of polymers was systematically analyzed through electron microscopy and spectroscopic analyses to optimize the content and uniformity of the immobilized KCuHCF nanoadsorbent. The composite adsorbent demonstrated a high adsorption capacity of 114 mg g^-1 and selectivity for cesium with distribution coefficients of 104 ~ 105 mL g^-1, even under seawater conditions where large amounts of competitive cations were present. In a membrane filtration experiments, the composite showed efficient decontamination by removing 180 mg cesium per 1 m² with a high flux of about 148 L m^-2 h^-1. Therefore, depositing KCuHCF nanoadsorbent on the surface of the nanofiber and using an adsorption filtration method could be a practical alternative for treating radioactive wastewater.