One-step synthesis of Ag@polyaniline core–shell particles for efficient removal of radioactive iodine

A silver-based material coated with polyaniline (Ag@PANI) was successfully synthesized to effectively remove I₂ and I⁻. Experimental results showed the sorption capacity of I₂ by Ag@PANI reached 132 wt.%, and the I⁻ uptake capacity reached 419.6 mg·g⁻¹. Additionally, Ag@PANI could effectively remove up to 99.9% of low I⁻-contaminated water, and the distribution coefficient (K_d) toward I⁻ reaches 4.65 × 10⁶ mL·g⁻¹. Adsorption mechanism showed I₂ and I⁻ were immobilized on Ag@PANI by conversion to AgI. Moreover, electrostatic interactions might result in higher I⁻ retention ability. Overall, Ag@PANI can be employed as promising adsorbent for the efficient removal of radioactive iodine.