Ning Wang, Fei Pan, Shuai Ding, Dawei Pan
The design and application of advanced materials for selectively capturing trace amounts of radionuclides have drawn great attention in recent years due to the increased demand for the adsorption and separation of nuclear fuel and the mitigation of radioactive contamination in the marine environment. Among these materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), with the advantages of porosity and functionalization, exhibit great potential in the recovery of radionuclides and environmental remediation. In this review, a framework spanning radionuclide chemistry, COFs topological design, adsorption mechanisms, and practical performance was investigated. Specific surface areas, pore sizes, and chemical structural functionalization were rationally designed through tailoring building blocks and linking chemistry. Functional groups and ligands were introduced to highlight adsorption selectivity towards radionuclides. Strategies to design COFs for adsorption kinetic properties and selectivity were systematically analyzed. Furthermore, the challenges that limit the application of COFs, such as scalability and chemical and radiation stability, were discussed. This systematic perspective not only clarifies the mechanistic differences in complex adsorption environments but also provides universal theoretical guidance for the design of next-generation multifunctional, radiation-resistant COF materials for the adsorption and separation of radionuclides from seawater.