Synthesis and Application of a Novel Metal–Organic Frameworks-Based Ion-Imprinted Polymer for Effective Removal of Co(II) from Simulated Radioactive Wastewater

In this work, a novel metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)-based ion-imprinted polymer (MIIP) was prepared to remove Co(II) from simulated radioactive wastewater. The batch experiments indicated that the sorption was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir models, and it is monolayer chemisorption. The theoretical maximum sorption capacity was estimated to be 181.5 mg∙g(−1), which is by far the reported maximum value of Co(II) sorption by the imprinted materials. The MIIP presented an excellent selectivity for Co(II) in the presence of common monovalent and divalent metal ions, and the selectivity coefficients were 44.31, 33.19, 10.84, 27.71, 9.45, 16.25, and 7.60 to Li(I), K(I), Mg(II), Ca(II), Mn(II), Ba(II), and Cd(II), respectively. The sorption mechanism was explored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technology and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, suggesting that Co(II) was adsorbed by the MIIP via the chelation of 4-vinylpyridine (VP) ligands with Co(II), which was a spontaneous process, and the optimal coordination ratio of VP to Co(II) was 6. This work suggested that the MIIP has a high sorption capacity and excellent selectivity for Co(II), which is of great significance for the selective separation of Co-60 from radioactive wastewater.