用于高效电化学海水提铀的氮/硫共掺杂炭纳米片

N/S co-doped carbon nanosheets for the efficient electrochemical extraction of uranium from seawater

  • 摘要: 碳基催化剂是最具潜力的电化学海水提铀材料之一,但其实际应用性能常受高昂成本与低催化活性限制。本文利用廉价的聚苯乙烯磺酸树脂与三聚氰胺为原料,结合低温水热处理与高温炭化,开发了一类具有高催化活性的氮/硫共掺杂炭纳米片(CNSs),进一步与聚偕胺肟(PAO)共混后制备出一种吸附-催化一体化海水提铀复合电极。得益于CNSs自身高导电性与杂原子掺杂带来的高催化活性,基于CNSs的复合电极能在−2 V的电位下将海水中的铀酰离子催化为易于回收的Na2O(UO3·H2O)x沉淀物,并能在1×103 mg L−1的高浓度铀加标海水中实现3923.7 mg g−1的提取容量与98.1%的铀去除率。原位拉曼光谱表明,电化学提铀40 min内,复合电极表面出现大量的铀化合物。值得指出的是,即使在铀浓度极低的天然海水中,该复合电极仍能回收72.7%的铀,具有优异的应用前景。

     

    Abstract: Carbon-based catalysts are promising materials for the electrochemical extraction of uranium from seawater. However, their practical application is often limited by high cost and low catalytic activity. Using low-cost polystyrene sulfonic acid resin and melamine as raw materials, a class of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanosheets (CNSs) with high catalytic activity has been developed by a low-temperature hydrothermal treatment and high-temperature carbonization. Because of their high conductivity and high catalytic activity, CNS-based electrodes can catalyze uranyl ions in seawater into easily recoverable Na2O(UO3·H2O)x precipitates at −2 V, and achieve an extraction capacity of up to 3 923.7 mg g−1 with a uranium removal of 98.1% in uranium-spiked seawater (1.0×103 mg L−1). In situ Raman spectroscopy showed that a large number of uranium compounds appeared on the surface of the composite electrode within 40 min of extraction. The electrode also recovered 72.7% of the uranium in natural seawater, demonstrating excellent prospects for this application. This work provides a new approach into the design of low-cost, metal-free electrocatalysts for the efficient uranium extraction from natural seawater.

     

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