Effects of chain conformation on uranium adsorption performance of amidoxime adsorbents

•Three amidoxime adsorbents with different chain conformations were constructed via tert-butyl hydroperoxide-initiated surface graft polymerization.•Conformational effect is a key factor affecting uranium adsorption capacity.•The linear structure of P-E-PAO had the largest adsorption capacity.•The multi-arm structure of P-E-PMGO was most affected by pH and ionic strength.•The rigid structure of P-E-PEBO had the best selectivity.