Unlocking the “Nuclear Energy Code” of the Ocean: A Review of Technologies for Uranium Recovery from Seawater

Uranium Extraction from Seawater (UES) offers a promising solution for securing the sustainable development of nuclear energy, as marine uranium resources with an average concentration of 3.3 μg/L exceed 10,000 years of human demand compared to limited terrestrial uranium resources. Despite significant advances in material design, process integration, and emerging technologies, ultralow uranium concentration and complex chemical environment of the ocean pose substantial technical and economic challenges for extraction efforts. This review presents an up-to-date overview of the latest advancements in the UES field, highlighting adsorption, electrochemistry, membrane separation, and photocatalysis methods from the perspectives of design principles, active materials, current research progress, existing disputes, and challenges faced in practical applications. This work also evaluates these methods and prospects future development trends, aiming to offer theoretical insights and technical inspiration for researchers in related fields, thereby fostering the ongoing advancement of the area in an efficient, economical, and environmentally sustainable manner.