http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/chem/202503/t20250325_908683.shtml

https://www.cell.com/matter/abstract/S2590-2385(25)00098-0

A research team led by Prof. WEN Liping from the CAS Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry has developed a biomimetic adsorbent that can attract and hold uranium ions. The inspiration for this adsorbent is the natural porous structure of the spiky, globular fruit of the Chinese sweet gum tree, Liquidambar formosana.

Prof. WEN’s team studied the hierarchical structure of the fruit, which features radial macropores and a lignin fiber network. This design allows substances to move from the pore surface to the core in just 0.3 seconds. Inspired by this efficient natural mechanism, the researchers developed a spherical adsorbent material incorporating similar hierarchical channels, effectively mitigating blockage and enhancing ion transport.Tests conducted in real seawater showed that this hierarchical adsorbent demonstrated exceptional selectivity for uranium, effectively outperforming common competitive ions such as vanadium and iron, and achieving a 150% improvement in adsorption capacity compared to adsorbents without hierarchical microstructures.