Enrichment and Separation of Radionuclides by Organic Polymer Materials: A Review

Abstract

Nuclear power provides a chance for the decarbonization of global energyrelated emissions. However, the spent fuel produced by nuclear reactors contains various radionuclides, which require further disposal and treatment. Therefore, the enrichment and separation of radionuclides are of great significance for the recycling and utilization of resources. Organic polymer materials have attracted great attention due to their excellent physicochemical properties of rapid kinetics, high adsorption capacity, high selectivity, and diverse functionalization. This review provides an overview of the use of pristine polymers, functionalized polymers, and polymer-based composites for the highly efficient enrichment and separation of different kinds of radionuclides (i.e., U, Tc, I). The synthesis strategy, radionuclides enrichment and separation ability, and related mechanism are comprehensively summarized. The structure−property relationships in polymer-based materials that underpin their outstanding environmental remediation performance are also illustrated. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of polymer-based materials for future radionuclide separation and legacy nuclear waste management are reasonably proposed, aiming to design functional polymers for task-specific applications.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Removal of U(VI) from Real Radioactive Wastewater by Modulating the Surface Charge Microenvironment in Porphyrin-Based Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework

“…Uranium is one of the most important raw materials for nuclear power, but radioactive wastewater will be inevitably produced during uranium mining. Uranium in radioactive wastewater typically exists in the hexavalent oxidation state, U­(VI), with the high mobility and radiotoxicity, representing potential environmental hazard in the long term. − So far, a variety of methods have been developed, such as chemical precipitation, ion exchange, , solvent extraction, , membrane separation, , sorption, , and photocatalysis, − to remove it from radioactive wastewater. Among them, photocatalytic technology is considered to be one of the most promising options for treating uranium-containing radioactive wastewater, due to the advantages of fast kinetics, high selectivity, and the oxidation state transition from soluble hexavalent U­(VI) to insoluble tetravalent U­(IV). , …”