Regenerable and stable conductive topo-polymers for selective uranium extraction†

Due to the growing demand for the sustainable development of the nuclear energy industry, the capture of uranyl (UO₂²⁺) ions from seawater has garnered unprecedented interest. Starting with economical raw materials, we reported polydiacetylene-based conductive topo-polymers with different stereostructures. The results could provide valuable references for designing and synthesizing materials for the efficient extraction of uranium “from molecule to structure”. Benefiting from the highly accessible intrinsic and mechanically stable space of uranyl-specific nanofluidic channels, the adsorption capacity measured after 25 days of exposure to natural seawater was evaluated to be 6.39 ± 0.34 mg g⁻¹. The maximum uranium adsorption capacity could be enhanced twofold with the application of a negative potential. Derived from inexpensive industrial materials with facile operating processes, the method provides a direction for low-cost and sustainable materials for the extraction of uranium in real-world applications. By rationally designing the target ligands, this strategy can be extended to the extraction of other nuclear fuels.