Scintillating iron imprinted polymers (Sc-Fe-IIP): Novel material for 55Fe selective recognition

Abstract

In the coming years, numerous nuclear power plants are expected to reach the end of their operational lifespans, leading to a substantial increase in the demand for analyses during the decommissioning process. Of particular concern is ⁵⁵Fe, a fission product originating from neutron activation of stable iron. The conventional methods for determining ⁵⁵Fe using liquid scintillation are known for being time-consuming, complex, and involving multiple steps to eliminate interferences. In this work, the first scintillating imprinted polymer for ⁵⁵Fe has been developed (Sc-Fe-IIP). Several tests have been conducted to define the polymerization procedure, the components of the polymer, and their proportions, making it possible to combine selective retention and scintillation capabilities for ⁵⁵Fe determination in one material. The optimum Sc-Fe-IIP is composed of styrene, divinylbenzene, and vinyl phosphonic acid, together with a complex of Fe with acrylic acid and scintillation fluorescence solutes. The iron capacity is up to 17 mg per gram of Sc-Fe-IIP, and the selectivity is 95 %, with reduced retention of copper (4 %) and no retention of nickel or cobalt. Regarding scintillation capabilities, the Sc-Fe-IIP showed a detection efficiency of 4.90 %.