Effective uranium recovery from wastewater is of significance for the uranium resources utilization and the environmental protection. Herein, the rationally engineered porous organic polymer (POP-FD) with dual Lewis base sites is fabricated via an aqueous-phase and scalable method, which achieves synergistic coordination and structural modulation. The decorated dual Lewis base sites can offer a favorable coordinative binding microenvironment. The constructed hierarchical porous channel and interfacial hydrophilic microenvironment can improve the accessibility of Lewis base sites and the diffusion of uranyl ions. Consequently, POP-FD possesses a saturation U(VI) adsorption uptake of 977.51 mg g-1 within approximately 20 min. The recovery performance remains nearly 95% after scaled-up synthesis, and POP-FD delivers excellent selectivity over various metal ions (S.F. = 29-3844) and U(VI) adsorption capacity (316.81 mg g-1) in actual leach tailing wastewater. This study offers a promising microenvironment modulation strategy of POPs for green, high-efficiency, and economic uranium extraction.

Extracting uranium from seawater is essential for the long-term sustainable development of nuclear energy, yet its pratical application remains hindered by low efficiency and suboptimal economics. Herein, a CNTs/SBA-15-SAO-N Janus membrane was innovatively fabricated by integrating functional adsorbent design with external field enhancement. The bottom layer, comprising salicylaldoxime (SAO) and amino-bifunctionalized SBA-15, provides specific binding sites for uranyl ion, while the upper carbon nanotubes (CNTs) layer effectively harvests and converts solar energy into thermal energy. Under simulated 1 sun irradiation, the surface temperature of membrane rapidly increased to 75 degrees C within 30 s, achieving a water evaporation rate of 1.35 kg & sdot;m-2 & sdot;h-1. The membrane exhibited an equilibrium uranium adsorption capacity of 496.82 mg & sdot;g-1 under light at pH= 6 and C0= 100 mg & sdot;L-1, representing a 70.29% enhancement compared to dark conditions. Furthermore, it demonstrated exceptional uranium/vanadium selectivity with a separation factor (SU/V) of 43.8. In natural seawater experiments over one week, the membrane achieved a uranium adsorption capacity of 3.29 mg & sdot;g-1. Comprehensive experimental characterization combined with DFT calculations elucidated the coordination structure of the uranium complex, revealing that uranium forms a stable hexa-dentate complex involving the phenolic hydroxyl O of SAO, oxime O and N, amino N, and two water molecules. Analysis of electron distribution and orbital overlap further revealed that the complex formation is governed primarily by non-covalent interactions rather than covalent bonding. This synergistic design strategy, together with the in-depth mechanistic understanding, provides critical insights and a promising approach for efficient uranium extraction from seawater.

The significant challenges in lithium recovery from salt lake via solvent extraction is the moderate lithium selectivity and the dissolution loss of extractants in aqueous phase. In order to tackle these challenges for lithium extraction for the real application, in this work, quantum chemistry calculation was employed to quantify the steric hindrance of neutral phosphate extractants with both aromatic and alkyl substituents. Among the candidates, 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDP) was identified as the most promising extractant and was further validated through extraction experiments. A novel extraction system, EHDP-MIBK-FeCl3, was proposed and systematically optimized. Under the optimal extraction conditions, EHDP exhibited the highest steric hindrance and the lowest dissolution loss. Up to 91% lithium extraction was achieved at a single-stage, with negligible magnesium co-extraction. The mechanism was elucidated using FT-IR, UV-vis, Raman, NMR, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The extracted lithium species were confirmed to include [Li center dot 2EHDP]+, [Li center dot 3EHDP]+, and [Li center dot 2EHDP center dot 2H2O]+. Finally, the system was applied to real brine from the Qarhan Salt Lake. The extraction efficiency of lithium ELi can reach 83% at single stage and the separation factor of lithium and magnesium beta Li/Mg reaches 106,824, demonstrating excellent selectivity and promising industrial applicability.

With the rapid development of lithium batteries, energy storage and controlled nuclear fusion, the demand for lithium is increasing rapidly. Direct lithium extraction from unconventional brines (e.g., oilfield brines) is becoming increasingly critical. However, unlike traditional high Mg/Li salt lake brines, these systems typically contain high concentrations of calcium ions, which further increases the difficulty of lithium separation. To address these challenges, this study proposes two novel extraction systems that enable direct lithium extraction from brines with high concentrations of magnesium, calcium and sodium through a stepwise process. First, a triphenyl phosphate-tetraphenylborate synergistic system achieves 84% lithium recovery from simulated raw brine. By employing a strategy combining lithium stripping with in-situ precipitation of magnesium and calcium ions, the separation factors for Li/Mg and Li/Ca reach 178 and 1528, respectively. Single crystal structure analysis reveals the separation mechanism of lithium from magnesium and calcium by the organophosphorus extractant at the molecular level for the first time, and mass spectrometry analysis verifies the selective migration behavior of lithium ions during the extraction process. The resulting alkaline lithium solution is further treated with a novel diketone system, achieving a single-stage lithium extraction efficiency of 89% and a Li/Na separation factor of 415. The two-step strategy achieves an overall lithium recovery of 80% from raw brine, significantly higher than the conventional process. The obtained lithium carbonate is confirmed as battery-grade by XRD and composition analysis. This work provides molecular insights for designing novel lithium extractants and offers a new approach for direct lithium extraction from raw brines.

The titanium-based lithium ion sieve H2TiO3 (HTO) has gained widespread recognition due to exceptional lithium recovery performance, remarkable ion selectivity, and superior structural stability. Meanwhile, integrating HTO with solar-driven interfacial evaporator (SDIE) offers an innovative and eco-friendly approach to lithium resource extraction. Nevertheless, conventional preparation techniques result in particle agglomeration, which slows down the kinetic process and limits the adsorption capacity. Herein, the neatly arranged precursor of lithium ion sieves (LISs), Li2TiO3 (LTO) was innovatively prepared by electrospinning technology. After subsequent high temperature treatment and H+ exchange, H2TiO3 nanofiber was gained. This kind of HTO nanofiber with minimized agglomeration, increased exposed active sites and eliminated a major kinetic hurdle for Li+ migration among the lattices, assisting HTO to reach adsorption equilibrium within 90 min, which was reduced by at least three times compared to that of LISs prepared by conventional methods with a saturation adsorption capacity of 17.65 mg & sdot;g- 1. Meanwhile, the Janus membrane with HTO nanofiber as the functional side and PVDF as evaporation side was obtained via phase inversion. The Janus membrane efficiently harvested solar energy to convert into thermal energy, thereby simultaneously accelerating water evaporation and directional Li+ transport by self-driven through coupled photothermal-adsorption mechanisms. Under 1 solar irradiation, the Janus membrane could attain an adsorption capacity of 14.18 mg & sdot;g- 1. In Qarhan salt lake brine evaporation experiment, the separation factor of Li/Mg was 1168. Moreover, HTO nanofiber showed reliable cycle stability. This work proposed a novel conceptual framework for integrating LISs into photothermal evaporation systems, demonstrating their synergistic potential for selective lithium recovery.

Abstract The development of uranium separation materials is essential to ensure a stable uranium supply for energy and to mitigate environmental risks. We report a two‐dimensional ferrocene‐vanadyl phosphate composite (fc‐VOP) with expanded interlayer spacing (9.8 Å) and adsorption–reduction coupling function, made by solvent‐assisted intercalation. This enables efficient uranium capture via optimized interlayer structure and interfacial properties. Interlayer expansion facilitates uranyl ion transport, accelerating adsorption kinetics, while the coupling function elevates interfacial concentration gradients to enhance ion binding, boosting capacity. The fc‐VOP shows a theoretical adsorption capacity of 1968.60 mg/g (pH = 4, pure nitrate solution) with equilibrium in 30 min. It also performs well in spiked matrices, achieving 336.4 mg/g in leachate and 248.2 mg/g in seawater. This work provides a viable route to improve 2D phosphate materials for uranyl adsorption and offers mechanistic insights into designing adsorption–reduction coupling materials.

(Nb) coplanar waveguide resonators are widely used in superconducting devices, and their higher quality factors are often associated with more vertical Nb sidewall. In this work, inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) was used to etch Nb. The etch parameters, including ICP power, platen power, chamber pressure, and gas chemistry, were studied to investigate their effects on the sidewall profile of etched Nb. In addition, two optimized process recipes are proposed to attain a sidewall profile with high verticality: an SF6 gas recipe and an SF6/CF4 mixed-gas recipe. Experimental results demonstrate that plasmas generated by S(F)6 or SF6/CF4 mixed gas, at relatively low chamber pressure and relatively high platen power, can produce a nearly vertical sidewall profile with an angle of 90 degrees +/- 2 degrees.

The readout system with a high multiplexing ratio has become a bottleneck limiting the application of large-scale transition-edge sensor (TES) detector arrays. In recent years, the microwave superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) multiplexer has emerged as a key technology for effectively reading large-scale cryogenic detector arrays. Currently, the microwave SQUID multiplexer is being adopted by an increasing number of experiments due to its capability of achieving a multiplexing ratio of 2000:1 within the readout bandwidth. In this study, we developed a 32-channel microwave SQUID multiplexer prototype. And we measured eight channels of the prototype. The measured equivalent noise current of the prototype reached 42 pA/ √(Hz) .

With the increasing demand for uranium resources, extracting uranium from aquatic environments has become a popular research topic. Among the methods for uranium extraction, adsorption is the most promising approach. Here, cobalt phosphate nanosheet characterized by extended interlayer spacing and optimized hydrogen bonding microenvironment (CoPH) is fabricated through a solvent-assisted ultrasonic method, which synergically realize structure and interlayer property optimization. The extended interlayer spacing facilitates the entry of uranyl into the material, which enhances the adsorption capacity. The construction of hydrogen bonding microenvironment is beneficial for weakening electrostatic interactions, enhancing the transport of ions within the material, which improves the adsorption kinetics. Consequently, the constructed CoPH possesses high adsorption capacity of 1274.41 mg/g, quick kinetics of about 30 min. Moreover, the material exhibits high selectivity towards competing ions in simulated system and maintains a promising adsorption capacity in practical systems, such as the capacity of 136.20 mg/g in spiked wastewater. In summary, the regulation of interlayer spacing and hydrogen bonding microenvironment can effectively enhance the uranium adsorption performance of phosphate materials, providing a feasible approach for the design of uranium adsorbent materials.

The extraction of uranium from seawater represents a promising approach to securing future nuclear fuel resources. Powder adsorbents with excellent performance in seawater have been extensively studied; however, their cycling stability and operational practicality remain limited. In this study, COF-TpTDH was incorporated into a sodium alginate/polyvinyl alcohol (SA/PVA) matrix using homogeneous blending-ion crosslinking technique. And aerogel microspheres (TpTDH@SPC) with interpenetrating dual networks were formed. The resultant microsphere exhibits superior mechanical properties, with a pressure resistance of 1.17 Mpa. Importantly, the hydrazone and beta-ketoenamine structures within the COF introduce specific coordination sites that enable selective and efficient capture of uranyl ions. The material exhibited a maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of 325.36 mg g- 1, and its distribution coefficient (Kd) of 9860 mL g- 1 was significantly higher than that of other coexisting metal ions. In addition, TpTDH@SPC exhibit excellent dynamic adsorption performance, with a dynamic breakthrough adsorption capacity of 630.10 mg g- 1, enabling the continuous treatment of 9.56 L of uranium at a concentration of 15 mg L- 1. This result demonstrates their strong potential for industrial applications in continuous-flow processes.

Addressing the dual challenges of accurate detection and efficient removal of pervasive environmental contaminants necessitates the development of high-performance adsorbents and separation materials. Herein, the covalent organic frameworks (COFs) containing sulfone group (TpSD) is synthesized and applied as a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating coupled to ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) for efficient extraction and ultrasensitive detection of trace tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) derivatives in multiple water media, including TBBPS mono (allyl ether) (TBBPS-MAE), TBBPS mono (2-bromoallyl ether) (TBBPS-MBAE) and TBBPS mono (2,3-dibromopropyl ether) (TBBPS-MDBPE). As revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the 2.1-3.3-fold higher extraction efficiency of TpSD compared to TpBD (lacking sulfone groups) is primarily due to additional hydrogen bonding interactions between the sulfone group and the pollutants. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) are 0.1-0.3 ng L-1 and 0.4-1.0 ng L-1, respectively. This method demonstrated satisfactory linearity in the range of 0.001-10 mu g L-1 (r2 = 0.9984-0.9993), and desirable relative standard deviations (RSDs) (single fiber: 5.7-8.7 %; multiple fibers: 4.9-7.4 %; intraday: 4.5-7.9 %; interday: 5.1-7.1 %). This method can successfully detect TBBPS derivatives in river water and seawater, with spiked recoveries of 95.1 %-108.4 %, proving that this method has good accuracy and selectivity. This study demonstrates that the developed TpSD exhibits exceptional adsorption capabilities, showing great promise as an effective adsorbent for the separation of environmental contaminants.

Seawater uranium extraction is critical to sustainable nuclear energy. However, porous adsorbents that simultaneously achieve ultrafast kinetics and high capacity remain scarce due to the intrinsic trade-off between ion transport and binding density. Here, a topological design paradigm is introduced by constructing phosphoric adsorption clusters within the interlayer nanospaces of porous organic cages (POCs), yielding the phosphate-functionalized POC (PhosCage). This molecular confinement strategy effectively alleviates the kinetic-capacity limitation prevalent in extended crystalline frameworks. PhosCage achieves exceptional adsorption kinetics, reaching equilibrium within 5 min at lab conditions, and delivers a record capacity of 50.4 mg g-1 in natural seawater, which is 8.4 times the U.S. DOE baseline. Furthermore, PhosCage maintain stable performance through at least ten adsorption-desorption cycles. Atomic-level mechanistic insights from ToF-SIMS, EXAFS, and DFT reveal that highly localized lone-pair electrons drive strong directional tetradentate coordination with [UO2(CO3)3]4-, accompanied by substantial charge transfer (1.68 e⁻) and an ultra-high binding energy (-256 kJ mol-1). This work establishes a molecularly precise blueprint for scalable seawater uranium extraction, and unlocks new avenues for designing efficient adsorbents toward uranium resource recovery and pollution remediation.

Efficient extraction of lithium from seawater is crucial for ensuring the sustainable supply of energy metals. Spinel lithium manganese oxide Li1.6Mn1.6O4 (LMO) is a highly promising ion sieve material for liquid lithium extraction, featuring high adsorption capacity and excellent selectivity. However, manganese dissolution severely limits its practical application. In this study, tungsten (W)-doped modified manganese-based ion sieve (HWMO) was successfully synthesized via hydrothermal method for efficient lithium adsorption from seawater. Combining DFT calculations with experimental characterization revealed that W primarily substituted Mn at the 16d site, forming stronger W-O bonds and increasing the overall valence state of Mn, thereby enhancing the structural stability of LMO. Post-doping, the maximum lithium adsorption capacity of HWMO-1% reached 52.11 mg center dot g-1, which represents a 36.3% improvement compared to undoped HMO. Moreover, after eight cycles, the manganese dissolution rate decreased from 3.8% to 3.45%. Additionally, HWMO-1% exhibited outstanding selective advantages in natural seawater (alpha Li/Mg = 1466). This study provides a novel strategy for developing highly stable ion sieves through modulation of manganese oxidation states via high-valence metal doping, offering valuable insights for promoting the application of manganese-based ion sieves in lithium extraction from low-concentration complex solutions.

Upcycling waste polyurethane (PU) via (bio)chemical depolymerization is a promising strategy for advancing a circular plastic economy, yet efficient recovery of toxic but valuable aromatic diamines remains a critical bottleneck. Herein, a phenolic- and carboxylic acid-functionalized hyper-cross-linked polymer (HCP-PCA) was designed for the selective recovery of 2,4-toluene diamine (TDA) and 4,4 '-methylene dianiline (MDA) from PU biohydrolysates. HCP-PCA features a high surface area (610 m(2)/g), abundant acidic sites, and low material cost (similar to$0.102/g). Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated high capacities of 1.46 mmol/g for TDA and 2.65 mmol/g for MDA, along with rapid kinetics and strong selectivity. Spectroscopic analyses revealed that adsorption is driven by synergistic acid-base interactions, hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic effects. Dynamic column tests further confirmed efficient adsorption-desorption behavior and practical applicability. This work provides a scalable and sustainable strategy for aromatic diamine recovery, facilitating downstream PU bio-upcycling and plastic waste valorization.

To achieve efficient and selective extraction of cesium (Cs+) from complex salt-lake brines, this study developed a dual-network hydrogel adsorbent based on ammonium thiostannate (NTS), denoted as NTS@(SA+PAA)-1.0. The dual-network hydrogel, composed of sodium alginate (SA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), serves as a stable support for the NTS powder, endowing the adsorbent with favorable mechanical robustness and high salt tolerance. Static adsorption experiments revealed that the composite adsorbent retains the excellent Cs+ selectivity inherent to the pristine NTS powder. In the presence of competing ions (e.g., Na+ and Mg2+), the distribution coefficient K-d(Cs) exceeds 10(4) mL/g. Dynamic column adsorption experiments further confirmed the material's significant Cs+ enrichment capability in real brines. A single adsorption-desorption cycle resulted in a nearly 13-fold increase in the Cs+ concentration and an approximately 72-fold increase in the mass fraction. After five consecutive cycles, the material maintained structural stability and sustained its adsorption performance. This study provides a novel composite gel adsorbent with practical application potential for the efficient and continuous extraction of cesium from brine.

Uranium extraction from seawater (UES) holds strategic significance for the sustainable development of global nuclear energy. However, biofouling, complex ion competition, and solid-liquid interfacial ion transfer resistance in natural seawater substantially constrain the engineering application of uranium adsorption materials. In this study, composite aerogel microspheres (AC-POC) were fabricated at scale via a synergistic physical entanglement and chemical locking strategy. Combined with structural design of the physical framework and introduction of phosphate and carboxyl groups, the dual network provides the ion transfer channels and enables uniform distribution of microscopic electron donors within the material. Characterization indicates that AC-POC exhibits rapid aqueous wetting behavior and favorable adsorption kinetics. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) imaging combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirms that the spatially interwoven phosphate-carboxyl coordination environment within the system generates a cooperative electron-donating effect, which reduces the coordination energy barrier. Consequently, AC-POC achieves a partition coefficient of 4.03 × 107 mL g−1 for uranyl ions and a dynamic adsorption capacity of 22.55 mg-U g−1 in natural seawater within 15 days. Furthermore, the material resists biofilm adhesion and retains adsorption capacity over seven consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. The findings provide a relatively comprehensive strategy for designing composite aerogel adsorbents, laying the foundation for advancing sustainable uranium adsorption materials.

Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) is a Na Super Ionic Conductors (NASICON)-type solid electrolyte with lithium-ion-sized transport channels, providing intrinsically high Li+ selectivity. When incorporated into Electrodialysis (ED) as selective lithium-ion sieving membrane, LATP enables electrically driven lithium transport with high separation efficiency. However, insufficient interphase connectivity between LATP and polymer commonly induces non-selective ion transport and interfacial resistance, resulting in a pronounced selectivity–flux trade-off. Establishing robust interphase connectivity is therefore essential to simultaneously achieve high lithium selectivity and fast ion transport in LATP-based composite membranes. Herein, Triethoxyvinylsilane (TEVS) is employed as a molecular bridge to chemically link inorganic LATP with the organic PVDF-HFP matrix, thereby enhancing interphase connectivity and suppressing non-selective transport pathways. The resulting LATP@TEVS/PHF composite membrane enables lithium ions to preferentially migrate through LATP-dominated pathways under an electric field, effectively mitigating the selectivity–flux trade-off. Under an applied voltage of 3 V, a membrane with a thickness of 55 μm achieved notable selectivities of 2029 (Li/Mg) and 705 (Li/Na), respectively, in Qarhan salt lake brine. Simultaneously, the lithium flux increased to 33.6 mmol·m−2·h−1, reflecting a remarkable enhancement of 80%. This rare combination of high selectivity and high flux exceeds most values reported for electrodialysis membranes. Additionally, the membrane demonstrated good operational stability, maintaining a selectivity above 12 during repeated cycling tests in a binary brine system. Overall, this work presents a promising strategy for the precise separation of lithium from liquid resources.

Efficient recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from wastewater is crucial for environmental remediation and the sustainable development of resources. Nevertheless, achieving efficient and selective REEs extraction in the systems containing low-concentration REEs and high-concentration competing metal ions remains a challenge. Here, we report on the fabrication of two-dimensional defective carbon nitride (DGCN-K) with extended nanoporous furnished oxygen-enriched sites, which is achieved through re-arrangement of framework structural unit using a flexible polycondensation-ion-thermal strategy. The extended nanoporous and continuous transmission nanochannels establish a dedicated structure microenvironment surrounding the active sites center, promoting the effective ion diffusion and increasing the accessibility of active sites. Meanwhile, the incorporation of abundant electronegative cyano and hydroxyl group modifies coordination microenvironment, improving hydrophilicity and strengthening interaction affinity with REEs. Consequently, DGCN-K shows excellent REEs adsorption performance, achieving high adsorption capacity (Nd(III) 146.25 mg/g, Dy(III) 180.82 mg/g, Lu(III) 204.34 mg/g,) within short adsorption equilibrium time (30 min). Furthermore, DGCN-K possesses high REEs selective removal rate in the mixed binary system and actual leaching tailings. This study provides a feasible microenvironment regulation strategy for the construction of 2D defective carbon nitride with oxygen-enriched sites and extended nanoporous for synergistically enabling efficient recovery of REEs.

Titanium (Ti)-based lithium ion sieves (LISs) have advantages such as structural stability and environmental friendliness, making them promising for lithium extraction from salt lake brine. However, the adsorption kinetics and capacity of granulated Ti-based LISs are very limited, which restricts their industrial applications. Inspired by biomimetic channels for Li transport, herein, a Ti-based LISs membrane with fast kinetics and high adsorption capacity has been proposed. Firstly, a flower-shaped Li2TiO3 (LTO) assembled by nanosheets with a super- hydrophilic surface was prepared for the first time. Thereafter, the LTO was compounded into poly (oligo (ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA) through UV-curing to obtain the PP@POEGMA/LTO membrane. Due to the lithiophilic properties of oligoethers in POEGMA, Li+ ions could pass through the inner pathway preferentially and rapidly. Furthermore, the abundant hydroxyl functional groups in POEGMA enhanced the hydrophilicity of membrane, facilitating the mass transfer of ad/desorption. After 0.1 mol & sdot;L-1 HCl elution to obtain PP@POEGMA/HTO composite membrane, the adsorption equilibrium of membrane was found to achieve within 4 h, as fast as that of the powders HTO. Meanwhile, the equilibrium adsorption capacity reached 32.19 mg & sdot;g- 1. Dynamic adsorption experiments revealed that the composite membrane maintained a lithium removal rate of over 80 % within 30 min, with the adsorption capacity stabilizing at 20 mg & sdot;g- 1 after five cycles. As for selective adsorption experiments in the Qarhan salt-lake brine and natural seawater, PP@POEGMA/HTO membrane showed a Li/Mg separation factor of 86.4 in spite of the Mg/Li as high as 249, and Li/Na separation factor of 14,508 in spite of the Na/Li as high as 60674, respectively. This work provides a straightforward approach for LISs membrane to achieving high-efficiency recovery, promoting their application in practical industries.