Selective heterogeneous capture and release of actinides using carborane-functionalized electrodes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry

Background:

• Selective metal capture is crucial for nuclear waste management and resource recovery.
• Developing robust and reusable materials for actinide separation remains a significant challenge.
• Electrochemical methods offer tunable control over material properties and capture processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To heterogenize electrochemically switchable ortho-substituted carboranes for selective metal capture.
• To investigate the electrochemical behavior of these carborane materials on electrode surfaces.
• To demonstrate the selective capture and release of actinides from mixed metal ion solutions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and heterogenization of ortho-substituted carboranes (PO Cb, PO Cb-Pyr).
• Fabrication of electrode films using glassy carbon and carbon fiber (CF) with single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
• Electrochemical characterization and galvanostatic charging of modified electrodes.
• Testing selective metal ion capture from simulated mixed waste streams.

Main Results:

• Heterogeneous electrochemical behavior of PO Cb and PO Cb-Pyr films was observed and enhanced by CNTs.
• CF|CNT|PO Cb and CF|CNT|PO Cb-Pyr electrodes demonstrated selective capture of actinides (Th4+, UO22+).
• Selective release of captured actinides was achieved, indicating material reusability.

Conclusions:

• Heterogenized electrochemically switchable carboranes are effective for selective actinide capture.
• The inclusion of CNTs enhances the electrochemical performance of the carborane-modified electrodes.
• This approach offers a promising electrochemical strategy for separating actinides from complex matrices.