Highly-efficient adsorbent materials for uranium extraction from seawater

Exploring clean and sustainable energy resources is one of the major challenges facing the world in the 21st century. Nuclear energy, as an expandable clean energy, has attracted much attention in recent years. Uranium is a vital fuel for nuclear energy and has significant implications for the development of the energy industry. In recent years, extracting uranium from seawater has aroused widespread interest, as the abundant uranium reserves in the ocean (about 4.5 billion tons) can meet the needs of the global nuclear industry for centuries. Therefore, the selective extraction of uranium from the ocean is of great significance for the development of nuclear energy and stable energy supply. This paper reviews the latest progress in uranium extraction from seawater, briefly introduces the mechanism of uranium extraction, and expounds the application of different materials and strategies in uranium extraction from seawater. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of uranium extraction from seawater are summarized and prospected, which provides solutions for researchers in this field to design new materials.