Efficient and reversible iodine capture by imidazolium cyclophanes synergized by cationic effects
摘要
Efficient capture of radioactive iodine species is essential for nuclear accident preparedness and aqueous waste treatment, but remains a challenging task. Herein, a triangle imidazolium cyclophane is readily accessible by Friedel-Crafts reaction from benzimidazole precursor, which behaves as an efficient absorbent to quickly capture iodine vapor and its aqueous solution with a maximum adsorption capacity of 3.54 g g−1, exceeding most known macrocycles. Moreover, after 30 cycles of reuse, the material still maintained an iodine adsorption efficiency of over 84%. Mechanism investigations revealed that the cationic nature of imidazolium cyclophanes along with the cavities of the materials were responsible for its excellent adsorption ability towards iodine species.