Natural polymer Nicandra physaloides (L.) Gaertn seed gum mediated assembly of hydroxyapatite assembly as versatile sponge for water pollution control

Uranium-containing wastewater has sparked worries about environmental sustainability on a worldwide scale, which has increased the demand for efficient adsorbent materials for contamination cleanup. A composite gel-freeze-drying technique was utilized to create the hydroxyapatite/Nicandra physaloides (L.) Gaertn seeds gum aerogel (NPG-HAP) adsorbent materials, combining the large contact area of three-dimensional materials with the effective adsorption features of nano sorbent materials. The structure and morphologies of NPG-HAP aerogels have used a range of techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and others. The average pore sizes of NPG-HAP were 15.87 nm before uranium adsorption and 12.18 nm afterward, concerning specific surface areas of 31.91 m2/g and 4.04 m2/g, respectively. The Langmuir isotherm determined that NPG-HAP aerogel could theoretically adsorb uranium at a maximum rate of 828.75 mg/g. The sorption capacity of NPG-HAP was spontaneous and adhered to a quasi-secondary kinetic model, according to thermodynamic and kinetic measurements. The findings demonstrated that the synthetic NPG-HAP aerogel can be employed as a successful and promising adsorbent for the removal of dyes from wastewater uranium. •In situ preparation of hydroxyapatite composite aerogel.•The adsorption capacity of the composite aerogel for U (VI) was 828.75 mg/g.•The enrichment effect of NPG-HAP on U (VI) was obvious during dynamic adsorption.•A new method for the production of high-performance uranium adsorbent was devised.