| Abstract Scope |
High surface area nanoporous ceramic oxides offer significant benefits as supports for sorbent materials for chemical separations. Modification of the surface through organosilane self-assembly offers a fast and convenient method for installing a wide variety of chemical selectivity to the interfacial sorption chemistry of these sorbent materials. By installing different types of ligands on the silica surface, it is possible to selectively sequester radionuclides (e.g. Cs, I, etc.), and actinides (e.g. U, Pu, Np, etc.), as well as lanthanides (e.g. Nd, Sm, Dy, etc.), “soft” heavy metals (e.g. Hg, Cd, Ag, etc.), and oxometallate anions (e.g. arsenate, chromate, pertechnetate, etc.). Examples of different chemistries will be discussed as well as technologies that have been licensed and are in commercial production. Representative industrial demonstrations will also be presented. |