Preparation of Molybdenum Ion Imprinted Materials and Its Selective Removal of Molybdenum from Metavanadate

Vanadium is regarded as an important strategic metal because of its unique properties. The properties of vanadium and molybdenum in the ore are similar, and the deep separation of the two is extremely difficult. In recent years, ion imprinting technology has garnered significant attention in adsorption research due to its exceptional selectivity toward target ions and homogeneous distribution of recognition sites. In this study, Mo(VI) was used as a template, combined with PEG-600, epoxy resin, and hyperbranched polyamide-amine, and the adsorbent was prepared by precipitation polymerization. The polymer exhibits excellent recyclability, stability, and selectivity, aiming to efficiently remove trace molybdenum. Through scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), thermogravimetric (TG), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses and batch adsorption experiments, the structural characteristics of Mo(VI)-IIPs and their adsorption mechanism for Mo(VI) were deeply explored. The endothermic and spontaneous nature of adsorption was consistent with monolayer adsorption and a pseudo-second-order model, resulting in a maximum capacity of 104.35 mg/g. This study provides a scientific basis for Mo/V separation and opens up a new path for the subsequent effective removal of trace molybdenum from vanadate.