Cationic Nonporous Macrocyclic Organic Compounds for Multimedia Iodine Capture

Area of Science:

• Materials Chemistry
• Nuclear Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Porous materials have been developed for iodine capture over the last two decades.
• Existing methods often rely on weak host-guest interactions, limiting efficiency.
• Radioactive iodine isotopes (129I, 131I) pose risks in nuclear energy and waste storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel compounds for efficient iodine capture.
• To investigate the iodine capture capabilities of cationic nonporous macrocyclic organic compounds.
• To overcome the limitations of weak interactions in current iodine removal technologies.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of two cationic nonporous macrocyclic organic compounds, MOC-1 and MOC-2.
• MOC-1 and MOC-2 were synthesized by reacting 1,1'-diamino-4,4'-bipyridylium di-iodide with 1,2-diformylbenzene and 1,3-diformylbenzene, respectively.
• Evaluation of iodine (I2) affinity and uptake capacities of the synthesized compounds.

Main Results:

• MOC-1 and MOC-2 were successfully synthesized with iodide (I-) as counter anions.
• The compounds exhibited high affinity for iodine (I2).
• Uptake capacities reached 2.15 g/g for MOC-1 and 2.25 g/g for MOC-2.

Conclusions:

• Cationic nonporous macrocyclic compounds show significant potential for iodine capture.
• The presence of numerous iodide anions enhances iodine affinity and uptake.
• These findings offer a promising advancement in managing radioactive iodine in nuclear applications.