To address the imperative need for efficient removal of uranium-containing wastewater and mitigate radioactive contamination risks associated with nuclear energy, the development of materials with high removal efficiency and facile separation is crucial. This study designed and synthesised MnO₂@chitosan (CTS) composite aerogel beads by in-situ growing δ-MnO₂ on porous CTS aerogel beads. This approach not only mitigates the agglomeration of MnO₂ nanospheres but also significantly enhances the porous structure and surface area of MnO₂@CTS. These cost-effective and eco-friendly millimeter-scale spherical aerogels exhibited convenient separation properties after adsorption. These characteristics help mitigate the risk of equipment seam blockage and secondary pollution that are often associated with powdered adsorbents. Additionally, MnO₂@CTS exhibited remarkable mechanical strength (stress approximately 0.55 MPa at 60 % strain), enabling rapid separation and easy regeneration while maintaining high adsorption performance even after five cycles. Significantly, MnO₂@CTS exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 410.7 mg/g at pH 6 and 298 K, surpassing reported values for most CTS/MnO₂-based adsorbents. The chemisorption process of U(VI) on MnO₂@CTS followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Dubinin-Radushkevish models. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis further confirmed the reduction of U(VI) to U(V/IV). These findings highlight the substantial potential of MnO₂@CTS aerogel beads for U(VI) removal from aqueous solutions, positioning them as a promising solution for addressing U(VI) contamination in wastewater.

为了满足有效去除含铀废水并减轻与核能相关的放射性污染风险的迫切需求，开发具有高去除效率和易于分离的材料至关重要。本研究通过在多孔CTS气凝胶珠上原位生长δ-MnO ₂设计并合成了MnO ₂ @壳聚糖(CTS)复合气凝胶珠。这种方法不仅减轻了MnO _{2纳米球的团聚，而且显着增强了MnO 2} @CTS的多孔结构和表面积。这些经济高效且环保的毫米级球形气凝胶在吸附后表现出方便的分离性能。这些特性有助于降低通常与粉末吸附剂相关的设备接缝堵塞和二次污染的风险。此外，MnO ₂ @CTS 表现出卓越的机械强度（60% 应变下的应力约为 0.55 MPa），即使在五个循环后也能实现快速分离和轻松再生，同时保持高吸附性能。值得注意的是，MnO ₂ @CTS 在pH 6 和298 K 下表现出410.7 mg/g 的最大吸附容量，超过了大多数CTS/MnO ₂基吸附剂的报道值。_{U(VI)在MnO 2} @CTS上的化学吸附过程遵循准二级动力学模型和Dubinin-Radushkevish模型。X射线光电子能谱分析进一步证实了U(VI)还原为U(V/IV)。_{这些发现凸显了 MnO 2} @CTS 气凝胶珠在从水溶液中去除 U(VI) 方面的巨大潜力，使它们成为解决废水中 U(VI) 污染的有前途的解决方案。