Functionalized Iron-Nitrogen-Carbon Electrocatalyst Provides a Reversible Electron Transfer Platform for Efficient Uranium Extraction from Seawater.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34599784.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1002/adma.202106621.
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Abstract
Uranium extraction from seawater provides an opportunity for sustainable fuel supply to nuclear power plants. Herein, an adsorption-electrocatalysis strategy is demonstrated for efficient uranium extraction from seawater using a functionalized iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N<sub>x</sub> -C-R) catalyst, comprising N-doped carbon capsules supporting FeN<sub>x</sub> single-atom sites and surface chelating amidoxime groups (R). The amidoxime groups bring hydrophilicity to the adsorbent and offer surface-specific binding sites for UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>2+</sup> capture. The site-isolated FeN<sub>x</sub> centres reduce adsorbed UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>2+</sup> to UO<sub>2</sub> <sup>+</sup> . Subsequently, through electrochemical reduction of the FeN<sub>x</sub> sites, unstable U(V) ions are reoxidized to U(VI) in the presence of Na<sup>+</sup> resulting in the generation of solid Na<sub>2</sub> O(UO<sub>3</sub> ·H<sub>2</sub> O)<sub>x</sub> , which can easily be collected. Fe-N<sub>x</sub> -C-R reduced the uranium concentration in seawater from ≈3.5 ppb to below 0.5 ppb with a calculated capacity of ≈1.2 mg g<sup>-1</sup> within 24 h. To the best of the knowledge, the developed system is the first to use the adsorption of uranyl ions and electrodeposition of solid Na<sub>2</sub> O(UO<sub>3</sub> .H<sub>2</sub> O)<sub>x</sub> for the extraction of uranium from seawater. The important discoveries guide technology development for the efficient extraction of uranium from seawater.