Synergy of pyrophosphate and unsaturated nitrogen sites for efficient uranium recovery from concentrated nitric acid.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41107284.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-64316-y and PMC identifier 12534433.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Efficient recovery of uranium from spent nuclear fuel (SNF) reprocessing in ultra-acidic and radiation-intensive environments is critical for sustainable uranium resources management. However, traditional extractants exhibit instability and reduced uranium adsorption capacity under such harsh conditions. Here, we present a metal-free pyrophosphate-incorporated g-C₃N₄ polymer (PCN<sub>x</sub>) featuring unsaturated nitrogen sites and pyrophosphate groups for robust uranyl ion coordination. The inherent stability of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> endows PCN<sub>x</sub> with high resistance to concentrated 12 M HNO<sub>3</sub> and 500 kGy radiation. The optimal PCN<sub>1/3</sub> achieves an uranium adsorption capacity of 75.3 mg g<sup>-1</sup> in 12 M HNO<sub>3</sub> and a high removal efficiency of 79.1% in a mixed ion solution, with a high distribution coefficient (K<sub>d</sub>) of 18,964 mL g<sup>-1</sup>. This study demonstrates a promising proof-of-concept for designing functional polymers that efficiently recovers uranium from ultra-acidic and radiation-intensive conditions during SNF reprocessing.