Amidoxime-functionalized short amylose polymer: a dual-functional sensing platform for uranium(VI) quantitative detection and adsorption.

Uranium is a core key element in the nuclear industry, and the discharge of uranium-containing wastewater is likely to pose a significant threat to the ecological environment and human health. Therefore, the development of U(VI)-targeted materials with both sensitive detection and highly selective adsorption is of great practical significance. In this study, we successfully prepared a new-type green fluorescent adsorbent (TFN-SAMP-AO) for the precise quantitative detection and efficient adsorption of U(VI). TFN-SAMP-AO exhibited a linear relationship in the concentration range of 0.1 to 2.0 µM with a fast response time (5 minutes). The detection limits of the method for U(VI) were as low as 24.8 nM, 69.4 nM, 78.9 nM and 68.8 nM in deionized water, tap water, lake water, and natural seawater samples, respectively, all of which were lower than the uranium limit in drinking water specified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Meanwhile, the material demonstrated excellent selectivity and anti-interference performance, achieving satisfactory recovery rates in environmental water sample analysis. At room temperature, the maximum adsorption capacity of TFN-SAMP-AO in aqueous solution at pH 6.0 reached 281 mg g-1, and the adsorption efficiency remained above 83% after five adsorption-desorption cycles, indicating its promising potential as an effective adsorbent for U(VI) removal. Therefore, the proposal of TFN-SAMP-AO enables dual detection-removal functionality, providing innovative ideas for constructing a dual-functional sensing platform, and holds broad application prospects in uranium-containing wastewater monitoring and treatment.