Review on Synthesis of Silica-Based Hybrid Sorbents and Their Application in Radionuclide Separation and Removal via Chromatographic Technique

The efficient separation and removal of key nuclides is important for the nuclear fuel cycle from the aspects of radioactivity reduction and potential resource recycling. The urgent objective is to design and develop functional materials for the separation and removal of important nuclides. Porous silicon-based adsorbents are considered highly advantageous materials for separating and removing radioactive nuclides in complex environments due to their excellent mechanical properties, high porosity, and functionalization ability. In this review, we compiled the applications of porous silica-based materials in recent years in the separation and removal of key nuclides, such as actinides, lanthanides, strontium, cesium, iodine, and platinum group metals; discussed their separation and removal performances; analyzed the constitutive relationship between key radionuclides and porous silica-based adsorbents; and systematically described the properties and mechanisms of different types of porous silica-based adsorbents. This article aims to provide some ideas for the design of an advanced separation process in the nuclear fuel cycle.