Porous Aromatic Framework-based Materials: Superior Adsorbents for Uranium Extraction from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract: Uranium, the primary fuel source for nuclear power reactors, is one of the most crucial components in new energy production. Currently, uranium is mainly mined from land ore, which will be exhausted within 200 years. As the world's largest uranium reservoir, the ocean is an ideal source for people to obtain these industrial resources. However, the low concentration of uranium (typically about 3.3 ug/L) in seawater poses a great challenge for the project uranium extraction from seawater. The porous aromatic framework (PAF) is a new type of porous nano-solid material with chemical stability, robust framework, and inherent porosity, making itself being the promising material for uranium capturing from aqueous solutions. The progress and advancements of PAFs and PAF-based materials as adsorbents for uranium extraction from aqueous solutions are detailed in this review. Then, several common utilized ways to enhance PAF-based materials’ adsorption performance are discussed. Finally, the authors make a summary and perspective on the opportunities and challenges of this kind of nanomaterials to provide some relevant information on designing PAFs and PAF-based materials for Uranium Extraction from seawater.