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Mechanochemistry-Based Synthesis of Highly Crystalline γ‑Zirconium Phosphate for Selective Ion Exchange
journal contribution
posted on 2018-03-23, 17:36 authored by Yu Cheng, Xiao Dong (Tony) Wang, Stephan Jaenicke, Gaik-Khuan ChuahHighly
crystalline γ-zirconium phosphate has been synthesized by a
novel minimalistic approach and investigated as a selective ion exchanger
for cesium, ammonium and potassium. In contrast to current solution-based
preparations, the mechanochemistry-based synthesis provides easy access
to γ-zirconium phosphate with short synthesis times and low
crystallization temperature. The addition of NaF as a mineralizer
increases the crystallinity of γ-zirconium phosphate, which
forms micrometer-sized uniformly shaped rectangular platelets. The
crystalline material has extremely high selectivity to cesium even
in the presence of 1000- or 500-fold excess Na+ or Ca2+, respectively. The removal efficiency was >98% in the
pH range of 2–5.5. As an ion exchanger for purification of
dialysate, crystalline γ-zirconium phosphate shows higher uptake
of ammonium and potassium ions than the amorphous gel compound currently
used in sorbent cartridges. This sustainable protocol opens up opportunities
for many practical applications of γ-zirconium phosphate.