Scientists in China create a predator-like material to hunt for uranium in the ocean

An international research team led by Yongquan Zhou at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes has developed a microscopic 'predator-like' material that autonomously moves through water to capture uranium ions. Published in Nano Research (accepted March 24), this light-powered metal-organic framework (MOF) micromotor measures just 2 micrometres across—far thinner than a human hair. The researchers engineered sponge-like particles with modified internal chemical structures to remain stable in water over long periods, enabling them to actively hunt and bind uranium ions rather than passively waiting.

This breakthrough addresses a critical challenge: while seawater contains an estimated 4.5 billion tonnes of uranium, its extremely low concentration makes extraction technically difficult and prohibitively expensive. For China, which is rapidly expanding its nuclear power fleet but remains heavily dependent on imported uranium, the strategic implications are significant. The light-driven micromotor technology could eventually enable cost-effective uranium extraction from seawater and aid in cleaning up radioactive pollution. As Zhou noted, researchers overseas have studied light-driven micromotors before, but few have specifically applied them to uranium extraction, making this a novel approach with potential commercial and environmental applications.