Recent Progress in Functional Nanomaterials towards the Storage, Separation, and Removal of Tritium

Abstract

Tritium is a sustainable next‐generation prime fuel for generating nuclear energy through fusion reactions to fulfill the increasing global energy demand. Owing to the scarcity–high demand tradeoff, tritium must be bred inside a fusion reactor to ensure sustainability and must therefore be separated from its isotopes (protium and deuterium) in pure form, stored safely, and supplied on demand. Existing multistage isotope separation technologies exhibit low separation efficiency and require intensive energy inputs and large capital investments. Furthermore, tritium‐contaminated heavy water constitutes a major fraction of nuclear waste, and accidents like the one at Fukushima Daiichi leave behind thousands of tons of diluted tritiated water, whose removal is beneficial from an environmental point of view. In this review, we discuss the recent progress and main research trends in hydrogen isotope storage and separation by focusing on the use of metal hydride (e.g., intermetallic, and high‐entropy alloys), porous (e.g., zeolites and metal organic frameworks (MOFs)), and 2‐D layered (e.g., graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN), and MXenes) materials to separate and store tritium based on their diverse functionalities. Finally, the challenges and future directions for implementing tritium storage and separation are summarized in the reviewed materials.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Ultrasensitive Eu-Based MOF Luminescence Sensor for Clenbuterol Visible Recognition

“…Metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) as crystalline functional materials assembled by metal ions and organic ligands have aroused widespread concern among scientists due to their adjustable structures, 23,24 promising properties, and diversified functions, including but not limited to magnetism, 25 gas separation/absorption, 26 chemical sensing, 27 heterogeneous catalysis, 28 etc. 29,30 Especially for luminescence detection, lanthanide-based organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) as probes have always been popular in the optical field for contaminant recognition on the base of the long luminescence lifetime, high color purity, and large stokes' shifts deriving from the f−f transitions by an "antenna effect."…”

“…Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as crystalline functional materials assembled by metal ions and organic ligands have aroused widespread concern among scientists due to their adjustable structures, , promising properties, and diversified functions, including but not limited to magnetism, gas separation/absorption, chemical sensing, heterogeneous catalysis, etc. , Especially for luminescence detection, lanthanide-based organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) as probes have always been popular in the optical field for contaminant recognition on the base of the long luminescence lifetime, high color purity, and large stokes’ shifts deriving from the f–f transitions by an “antenna effect.” − To date, several MOFs have been reported for removing CLB, while very few can be applied to CLB luminescence sensing. − For example, the Li group employed a classical Zr-based MOF (UiO-66 material) as a CLB luminescence probe, presenting a detection limit of 0.17 μM . To the best of our knowledge, there is no report about an Ln-MOF luminescence sensor of CLB.…”

Crystal Growth of Clathrate Hydrate Formed with Carbon Dioxide and Deuterium Oxide: Implications for Hydrate-based Tritium Separation

“…From an environmental viewpoint, the treatment of tritiated water discharged from nuclear power plants is an urgent task not only in Fukushima but also across the world because it accounts for a major fraction of nuclear waste. − Tritium is radioactive and vigorously involved in metabolism, consequently careful consideration is required for health and safety risks . Most recently, a novel tritiated water separation method using hydrate was proposed.…”

Demonstration of tritium adsorption on graphene

“…[2][3][4][5][6] Now, studies for potential applications are also extended to the other hydrogen isotopes, i.e., deuterium 7,8 and tritium. 9,10 Tritium is the fuel for future fusion reactors and is also present as by-product in ssion power plants. In this context, the graphenetritium system is studied, 9 and its properties are considered for tritiumprocessing applications.…”

“…9,10 Tritium is the fuel for future fusion reactors and is also present as by-product in ssion power plants. In this context, the graphenetritium system is studied, 9 and its properties are considered for tritiumprocessing applications. 11 The motivation for the research presented in this paper, however, stems largely from the eld of astroparticle physics.…”