Active and selective removal of U(VI) from contaminated water by plasma-initiated polymerization of aniline/GO

[Display omitted] •The effect of –NH2 functional groups on U(VI) extraction is investigated.•AGO composites with various aniline/GO weight ratio are designed by plasma method.•High capacity and high selectivity of U(VI) enrichment are demonstrated.•Cytotoxicity of AGO is studied by relative cell activity and cell imaging.•We give the future direction of active and selective U(VI) extraction materials. The development of new enrichment material for U(VI) enrichment with high selectivity is of great importance for both the pollution management and efficient recycling of U(VI). In order to explore the effect of –NH2 functional groups in U(VI) extraction, we here used the plasma technique to prepare Aniline/GO (AGO) composites, as raw-GO has no nitrogen element and aniline has a large number of –NH2 functional groups. The effect of –NH2 functional groups in the U(VI) enrichment is evaluated by comparison of enrichment performance of raw-GO with and without the addition of –NH2 group, GO with plasma treatment is also under consideration. Effect of Aniline/GO weight ratio and different environmental factors are all studied. The results revealed that the –NH2 functional groups could enhance the U(VI) enrichment capacity and selectivity, especially at pH 3–7 with a weight ratio (2.5–7.5) of aniline to GO. The 5AGO composite showed excellent enrichment ability (341.5 mg/g, pH = 5.0, T = 298 K), anti-interference ability, selectivity, recycling ability and low cytotoxicity in human cells. The enhanced selectivity is attributed to the strong coordination between the nitrogen donor atoms and U(VI). This research provides a direction for the design of effective U(VI) extraction materials from seawater.