The emission of volatile radionuclides, which must be captured and subsequently stored, significantly complicates the process of recycling spent nuclear fuel. Solid adsorbents, particularly ultramicroporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), could be effective at capturing these volatile radionuclides, such as <sup>85</sup>Kr. MOFs, on the other hand, are shown to be more Xe-philic than Kr and to have a comparable affinity for Kr and N2. Additionally, the adsorbent must be radiation stable. To address these concerns, we developed radiation-resistant materials with high selectivity for Kr over Xe and N<sub>2</sub>, resulting in a significant reduction in nuclear waste volume. The stability of the materials against gamma and beta irradiation has been thoroughly investigated, demonstrating that the metal center and coordinating groups of the organic linker are crucial for the MOF's radiation resistance. The high-performance materials were processed into monoliths and membranes for practical applications utilizing a facile and highly scalable synthetic technique.

Shaped radiation resistant materials: A Step forward in the nuclear waste management industry

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ACS Fall 2022

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