Covalent-Organic Framework with Unconventional D-D Structure for Efficient Photocatalytic Uranium Extraction

Photocatalytic extraction of uranium from radioactive wastewater is crucial for environmental safety and sustainable nuclear energy development. It is widely recognized that photocatalysts with donor-acceptor (D-A) or D-π-A structures exhibit enhanced charge separation efficiency, thereby showing excellent photocatalytic performance. Herein, we presented a counterintuitive design of a donor-donor covalent-organic framework (D-D COF) for efficient photocatalytic uranium extraction. A twisted D-D COF (COF-BCTB-Py) was synthesized via solvothermal condensation using bicarbazole and pyrene as dual electron-donor units. The COF featured a well-defined AA-stacked porous structure, high specific surface area (963 m²·g^-1), suitable band gap (2.44 eV), and exceptional chemical, thermal, and radiation stability. Impressively, in the presence of 5% methanol, it delivered an ultrahigh uranium uptake capacity of 4278 mg·g^-1 with fast kinetics and >97% removal efficiency in complex water matrices, challenging the traditional stereotype of low-activity D-D COFs. Mechanistic studies revealed that soluble U(VI) was converted into crystalline (UO₂)O₂·2H₂O via in situ generated hydrogen peroxide rather than being reduced to U(IV). This work provides an unconventional design strategy to design efficient photocatalysts for uranium recovery from nuclear wastewater.