Defect Engineering Activates Pyrene-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Efficient Photocatalytic Uranium Capture.

ABSTRACT: Efficient uranium capture from wastewater is essential for environmental remediation and sustainable nuclear energy, yet current adsorption and photocatalytic approaches remain limited by insufficient active sites, charge recombination, and hydrophobicity. Herein, a defect-engineered pyrene-based covalent organic framework (TP-PYTO-SA) is reported, synthesized from 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol (TP) and 2,7-diaminopyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone (PYTO) with strategic salicylaldehyde (SA) incorporation. The introduced phenolic hydroxyl groups of SA improve hydrophilicity and offer additional uranyl binding sites, while rational defect density optimization (20%) generates localized electron traps. Concurrently, the electron-donating effect of phenolic hydroxyl groups establishes a built-in electric

SUBMITTER: Yao W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12931169 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature