Chemically Stable Guanidinium Covalent Organic Framework for the Efficient Capture of Low-Concentration Iodine at High Temperatures

Abstract

The capture of radioactive I2 vapor from nuclear waste under industrial operating conditions remains a challenging task, as the practical industrial conditions of high temperature (≥150 °C) and low I2 concentration (∼150 ppmv) are unfavorable for I2 adsorption. We report a novel guanidinium-based covalent organic framework (COF), termed TGDM, which can efficiently capture I2 under industrial operating conditions. At 150 °C and 150 ppmv I2, TGDM exhibits an I2 uptake of ∼30 wt %, which is significantly higher than that of the industrial silver-based adsorbents such as Ag@MOR (17 wt %) currently used in the nuclear fuel reprocessing industry. Characterization and theoretical calculations indicate that among the multiple types of adsorption sites in TGDM, only ionic sites can bond to I2 through strong Coulomb interactions under harsh conditions. The abundant ionic groups of TGDM account for its superior I2 capture performance compared to various benchmark adsorbents. In addition, TGDM exhibits exceptionally high chemical and thermal stabilities that fully meet the requirements of practical radioactive I2 capture (high-temperature, humid, and acidic environment) and differentiate it from other ionic COFs. Furthermore, TGDM has excellent recyclability and low cost, which are unavailable for the current industrial silver-based adsorbents. These advantages make TGDM a promising candidate for capturing I2 vapor during nuclear fuel reprocessing. This strategy of incorporating chemically stable ionic guanidine moieties in COF would stimulate the development of new adsorbents for I2 capture and related applications.