Schiff base functionalized mesoporous silica (SA-SBA-15) was synthesized by the co-condensation method to remove the radioactive corrosion products from contaminated water coming from nuclear installations. SA-SBA-15 nanoparticles were first irradiated in a solid powder form and then applied to remove Cu( II ), Ni( II ), and Co( II ) from their aqueous mixture in the range from 0 to 1000 Gy of gamma irradiation. The FTIR, TGA, zeta potential, XRD, BET, TEM, and CHN analysis results revealed the stability of a ligand support material, mesopore ordering and the functional groups. The structural and functional group endurance under our studied gamma irradiation makes SA-SBA-15 a potential adsorbent for routine decontamination and decommissioning activities as well as in radioactively contaminated emergency scenarios. Furthermore, the adsorbent-metal complexation followed the Irving–Williams order (Cu( II ) > Ni( II ) > Co( II )) and showed a higher selectivity for Cu( II ) with removal capacity up to 99.76 ± 0.01%, thus suggesting its applicability to separate Cu( II ) from other metal ions.
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