Branched-linear amine co-grafted uranium adsorbent fiber

2.5× capacity of conventional fibers

By reconstructing hydrogen bonds to expose more amine sites, the fiber achieves high-capacity and selective uranium adsorption in simulated seawater, retaining over 95% capacity after 7 cycles.

Zhu, Hong · Zhang, Yang · Xia, Xue · Yinyin, Peng · Zhang, Hao · Ma, Chunyan · Dong, Faqin · Li, Jun · Nie, Xiaoqin

Small 2026

Specifications

Uranium adsorption capacity

{'zh': '806.4', 'en': '806.4'} mg g⁻¹

Capacity retention

{'zh': '95', 'en': '95'} %

Advantages

2.5× capacity

Linear TEPA converts strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds in bPEI into intermolecular hydrogen bonds, exposing more amine groups and forming connected pathways for uranium transport.

High selectivity

Flexible TEPA forms a synergistic adsorption network with bPEI that adaptively adjusts in seawater to capture uranyl, improving uranium selectivity.

Reusable

Retains over 95% capacity after 7 cycles, showing excellent reusability.

Applications

• Seawater uranium extraction：Directly extracts uranium from seawater with 2.5 times the capacity of conventional fibers.
• Functional adsorbents：Serves as a high-amine-density adsorbent for uranium recovery from aqueous sources.
• Nuclear fuel cycle：Supplies uranium feedstock for the nuclear fuel cycle, reducing reliance on terrestrial uranium ores.
• Water treatment membranes：Can be fabricated into membrane modules for uranium removal from contaminated water.
• Marine resource recovery：Enables economical extraction of uranium from the ocean, expanding marine resource utilization.