Seawater to Sustainable Energy Solutions: Leveraging Functionalized Carbon-Based Materials for Uranium Extraction

This review offers a comprehensive and timely exploration of emerging strategies to harness vast uranium resources dissolved in seawater through the use of advanced carbon-based materials. With the global momentum shifting toward low-carbon energy solutions, nuclear power is poised to play a crucial role in achieving net-zero emissions. However, the limited availability of terrestrial uranium reserves presents a strategic bottleneck. Seawater, containing over 4.5 billion tons of uranium, represents a nearly inexhaustible alternative if efficient extraction technologies can be developed. The review emphasizes a function-oriented approach to the design of uranium adsorbents, grounded in an understanding of uranium coordination chemistry in marine environments. Key factors, including adsorption capacity, uranyl-binding affinity, structural optimization, and selectivity, are analyzed in the context of material functionality, performance, and environmental stability. A particular focus is given to overcoming real-world challenges such as biofouling by exploring strategies to enhance the marine durability of these materials. An array of carbon-based materials, including carbon nanotubes, graphene oxides, activated and mesoporous carbons, carbonaceous nanofibers, and hydrothermal carbons, are critically reviewed for their potential in uranium recovery. The review dissects the underlying adsorption mechanisms, revealing how physicochemical interactions, defect sites, and surface functional groups drive uranium uptake efficiency and selectivity. By integrating insights from materials science, coordination chemistry, nuclear engineering, and marine technology, this review serves as a multidisciplinary reference for advancing sustainable uranium recovery technologies. It identifies persistent challenges such as material regeneration, long-term stability, and economic feasibility and accordingly outlines innovative strategies for overcoming them. Overall, this review aims to catalyze research and development toward scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally resilient solutions for extracting uranium from seawater, supporting the long-term sustainability of nuclear energy systems.