Highly Efficient Uptake of TcO(4)(–) by Imidazolium-Functionalized Wood Sawdust

[Image: see text] (99)Tc is a radioactive fission product, mainly in the form of TcO(4)(–), with good solubility and mobility in the environment. The development of effective and inexpensive materials to remove TcO(4)(–) from nuclear industry wastewater or contaminated water is significant. Wood sawdust is a byproduct of the wood processing industry and is an abundant, low-cost, and sustainable material. The mesostructure of wood consists of numerous hollow cells that are joined endwise to form an interconnected channel matrix capable of rapid transfer of ions. Imidazolium-functionalized wood sawdust (IM-WS) was synthesized using natural wood sawdust by a two-step reaction. It has excellent properties of TcO(4)(–)/ReO(4)(–) adsorption including rapid adsorption dynamics (30 s to equilibrium), good adsorption stability (pH 3–9), high selectivity (adsorption of 45.4 Re % in 1000 times excess of NO(3)(–) ions, 76.6 Re % in 6000 times excess of SO(4)(2–) ions, and 92.2 Tc % in a simulated mixed solution; after adsorption, the concentration of TcO(4)(–) decreased to 0.056 ppb from the initial concentration of 12.09 ppb in 1000 times excess of SO(4)(2−)), and in particular low production costs. These characteristics give it great prospects for low-level radioactive wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.