Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 11, 2026
09:23
Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability
Published on: June 21, 2015
10.4K
Architectured Mesoporous Vaterite Nanohourglasses for High-Efficiency Uranium Capture
Dongsheng Ma1, Keming Wan2, Mingze Hao1
1Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 10, 2026
Summary
This study introduces vaterite mesoporous calcium carbonate (V-mCaCO3) as a highly efficient material for uranium extraction from seawater. Its unique structure significantly enhances uranium capture capacity and selectivity, offering a sustainable solution for nuclear energy resources.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
- Nuclear Chemistry
Background:
- Global uranium resource shortages necessitate efficient extraction methods.
- Traditional inorganic carbonates show poor performance in uranium capture.
- Developing advanced materials for sustainable nuclear energy is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the notion of poor uranium capture by inorganic carbonates.
- To engineer structural and crystalline properties for enhanced uranium extraction.
- To elucidate the phase-dependent capture mechanism of calcium carbonate.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of novel vaterite mesoporous CaCO3 (V-mCaCO3) using a triethylamine-assisted gas diffusion strategy.
- Morphology control via adjusting Ca2+/CO32- ratio and shear force.
- Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to understand the capture mechanism.
Main Results:
- V-mCaCO3 exhibits exceptional uranium capture performance: 1325 mg U/g saturation capacity and 125 mg U/g seawater extraction capacity.
- Demonstrated outstanding selectivity against interfering ions.
- DFT revealed vaterite's layered structure enhances uranium affinity via CO32- group rotation and stronger uranyl binding.
Conclusions:
- Vaterite CaCO3 significantly outperforms conventional calcite in uranium capture from seawater.
- The study provides fundamental insights into structure-activity relationships for mineral-based capture materials.
- Establishes a new strategy for designing advanced materials for sustainable uranium recovery.
