SPECIAL REPORT | NOVEL URANIUM SOURCES them out in the lab to prove the concept –


particularly by conducting seawater uranium adsorption experiments.


A leap forward As a result of the technology’s innovations, Dr. Song believes it is “a leap forward in uranium extraction.” While reflecting on its results so far, he doesn’t know of any other technology that can capture uranium from seawater faster and more efficiently. “Conductive polymer inside COF pores


creates direct electron pathways to the chelators, avoiding any loss of performance, while the combination of selective binding and active electrodeposition ensures we never hit a saturation limit,” he said.


Moreover, the technology has a distinctive, spontaneous


Above: Dr. Shengqian Ma, the Robert A. Welch chair of the University of North Texas’s Department of Chemistry, developed a different concept for uranium extraction from seawater


redox loop. Through this loop, the technology can convert temporary uranium forms into a stable deposit, leading to even higher efficiency long term. “Altogether, this makes our approach highly effective,


scalable and a clear step toward the future of sustainable uranium recovery,” Dr. Ma added. So far, no nuclear companies have expressed interest


in the technology. Nonetheless, Dr. Song thinks nuclear companies will implement it within the next five to 10 years, especially as industrial integration continues to progress. Along with the technology’s extraction speed, he said another key positive will be noticed: low costs, in comparison to other extraction methods. Although the covalent organic frameworks (COF)


materials that are used in the technology have some synthesis expenses, the total costs for each electrode (two in all) are minimal, again when compared to other extraction methods. Additionally, according to Dr. Song, each electrode can maintain its activity long term. “In practice, material and operational costs are minimised, making the technology economically competitive, despite the initial preparation expense,” he said.


As evidenced, Dr. Ma and his team have implemented all of the necessary steps so far – by creating a fast extraction process that will save nuclear companies time, energy and money down the road. Before these benefits are realised though, another step must occur, as the technology has to be scaled up, too. To do so, Dr. Ma and his team plan on producing large


form-factor electrodes, such as coated metal foils or meshes with PEDOT@sp2


c-COF-AO films. They will also


implement continuous-flow or large immersed modules with Pt/graphitic/current-collector architectures, which will be fully optimised to diminish electrolysis losses. Finally, they will apply pulse biasing and duty cycles, which have been proven to be beneficial during their lab experiments. “In addition, careful engineering of counter-electrodes


and cell geometry is needed to manage evolved gases and galvanic recycle pathways, while regeneration cycles using HNO3


or NaHCO3 should be integrated into the module


design,” Dr. Ma said. “Although our research demonstrates lab-scale regeneration and long-term exposure tests of up to 56 days, industrial engineering designs need to be developed as the next step.”


32 | November 2025 | www.neimagazine.com


Practical, high-performance functionality Due to the team’s innovations, it was able to couple highly conductive and highly selective COF materials with electrochemical deposition, resulting in uranium extraction from seawater. Prior to this advancement, conductive polymer molecules had never been introduced at the molecular level into the pores of a COF before. In doing so, adsorption sites’ conductivity has been enhanced, while electro-assisted uranium adsorption’s efficiency has been improved considerably, too. Furthermore, according to Dr. Ma, his team’s approach has highlighted a close synergy: between molecular-level design and functional implementation. “By embedding conductive polymers within the COF


pores, we established continuous electron pathways to the adsorption sites, enabling rapid and efficient uranium capture,” Dr. Ma said. Through the combination of selective chelation and active electrodeposition, the team also ensured that uptake will never be limited by passive sorption saturation. Not to mention, the team’s technology will be able to remain highly robust at all times, even when it’s encountering real seawater conditions. “Our work has demonstrated a highly integrated strategy


where precise molecular design directly translates into practical, high-performance functionality,” Dr. Song said.


Looking ahead Before the team’s uranium extraction technology is fully implemented, more facile and scalable synthesis routes must be advanced though, with regard to the COF materials. The technology’s electrodes will also need to be engineered into more “robust, device-level architectures” that can efficiently extract uranium, even “under the complex physicochemical conditions of real seawater,” according to Dr. Song. Moreover, the conductive COF adsorbent must be


fabricated as durable electrode devices, designed for deployment in real ocean environments. Material synthesis will also need to be scaled up, while prototypes will have to be built and tested and multi-site field trials will need to be performed too, in order to evaluate uptake, kinetics and long-term stability. “Efficient regeneration, lifecycle analysis and pilot deployments with industry partners will follow, along with necessary regulatory and safety approvals,” Dr. Ma said. “Once these steps are completed, nuclear companies will be able to acquire and deploy the technology through commercial modules or licensing agreements, enabling sustainable uranium recovery from seawater.” Currently, his team is focused on offering an integrated,


field-ready seawater uranium extraction solution within three to five years. Once the solution is fully implemented, Dr. Ma believes it will offer nuclear companies a practical uranium extraction solution. Companies will not only be able to recover uranium from seawater quickly, but in a highly efficient manner too – all “on a large scale.” “It will open up exciting possibilities for sustainable


nuclear fuel supply,” he said. “In addition, the underlying principles of combining selective adsorption with electrochemical deposition could provide valuable guidance for developing efficient electro-deposition methods for other critical metals, extending the potential applications of this approach.” ■


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