Hydrothermal synthesis of carbon microsphere from glucose at low temperature and its adsorption property of uranium(VI).

The carbon microsphere which possesses a large number of carboxyl groups on its surface was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment from aqueous glucose solutions at 130 °C and further calcination. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity (163 mg/g) of the carbon microspheres towards U(VI) was obtained, and the adsorption kinetic was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Meanwhile, the adsorption isotherm was better described by the Langmuir model. The thermodynamic parameters indicated the adsorption process was an endothermic and spontaneous process. The possible adsorption mechanism of the carbon microspheres for U(VI) involves ion-exchange and coordination reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]