Amide and phosphate groups modified bifunctional luffa fiber for highly efficient removal of U(VI) from real uranium wastewater

In this study, the natural luffa fiber was easily modified by chemical method with amide groups and phosphoric acid (LF-A 2 -M 1 /P). SEM, XRD, FTIR and XPS were used to characterize the morphology, structure, and property of the fiber. The maximum adsorption capacity of LF-A 2 -M 1 /P towards U(VI) is 353.85 mg·g −1 (pH = 6). The thermodynamic parameters demonstrate that the adsorption of functional fibers to U(VI) is a spontaneous process. It is worth noting that LF-A 2 -M 1 /P has excellent removal amount for U(VI) in the real uranium wastewater. Our study provides some new insights into the purification of uranium-containing wastewater by the modified natural fiber. Graphic abstract