Acridine-Based Nitrogen-Rich Porous Organic Polymer for Ultra-Fast Iodine Uptake and Reversible Storage of Iodine

Radioactive iodine pollution from nuclear waste poses a significant threat to the environment and human health, making its capture and safe storage of utmost importance. In this study, we developed an acridine-based nitrogen-rich porous organic polymer (AcPOP-5) via Schiff base polycondensation. The polymer, designed with electron-rich aromatic rings and nitrogen centers, exhibits strong iodine adsorption capabilities. Our results show that AcPOP-5 achieves exceptional iodine uptake across various conditions: 8. 11 g/g at elevated temperature, 3. 02 g/g at room temperature, and 4975. 39 mg/g in aqueous media, respectively. The porous organic polymer AcPOP-5, produced through a simple and scalable method, exhibits outstanding chemical and thermal stabilities, enabling it to maintain its iodine uptake capacity through at least five cycles of use without substantial efficiency loss, even in high-temperature, humid, basic, and acidic environments. These characteristics, combined with AcPOP-5's excellent recyclability and low cost, make it an up-and-coming candidate for capturing volatile iodine during nuclear fuel reprocessing.