Electrochemical deposition of uranium oxide with an electrocatalytically active electrode using double potential step technique

The development of effective uranium-removal techniques is of great significance to the environment and human health.In this work,a double potential step technique(DPST)was applied to remove U(VI)from uranium-containing wastewater using a carbon felt electrode modified by graphene oxide/phytic acid composite(GO-PA@CF).The application of DPST can inhibit water splitting and prevent GO-PA from adsorbing other interfering ions in wastewater.The GO-PA composite can effectively accelerate the electrochemical reduction rate of U(VI),which significantly improved the electrochemical deposition rate of uranium oxide.As a result,the maximum removal efficiency and maximum removal capacity of GOPA@CF electrode reached 98.7%and 1149.3 mg/g,respectively.The removal efficiency remained 97.2%after five cycles of reuse.Moreover,the removal efficiency of GO-PA@CF electrode can reach more than 70%in simulated wastewater.