Engineered Sorbents for Selective Uranium Sequestration from Seawater

Abstract

The sustainable energy supply to the global community remains a great challenge due to the mounting incessant energy demand and environmental concerns associated with fossil fuel-based energy. As per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nuclear power will be the only reliable sustainable energy source in the future, and there will be a high demand for uranium (U). Therefore, the exploitation of U from seawater is essential to supply nuclear energy for thousands of years globally. Herein, we discuss some key developments on the design and application of potential sorbents for effective uranium extraction from seawater (UES) under different experimental conditions. Specifically, we focus on the synthesis, characterization, and application of a) organic sorbents (metal− organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), membranes, and hydrogels) and b) inorganic substrate (graphene and silica) based composite sorbents. Later, we discuss selected studies encompassing the mechanistic understating of efficient UES using potential sorbents through various analytical and theoretical/computational approaches. Finally, we present future challenges that need to be addressed for the design of compatible sorbents with exceptional properties for the effective UES. We believe that this paper can expand our understanding of the design and application of suitable sorbents for selective UES.

Interaction between Uranyl Cations and Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoparticles: Implications for Nuclear Wastewater Management

“…Uranium (U) present in wastewaters produced via its mining, processing, and use in the nuclear fuel cycle is a significant environmental concern , with a range of potential ecotoxicological effects identified. , This includes the presence of U in the remediation of contaminated solutes produced during various processes associated with the nuclear fuel cycle, including U-mining, effluents from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear fuel storage facilities, , U enrichment sites that are subject to decommissioning, , or cleanup procedures following the nuclear accidents. , To address these challenges, and especially when other radionuclides including transuranics such as plutonium and americium isotopes, and fission products including 90 Sr and 137 Cs may also be present, several studies have investigated U capture using various materials − including layered double hydroxides (LDHs) formed in situ − or prefabricated LDHs as adsorbents. ,− …”