Latest ArticlesA process for actinide(Ⅲ) and lanthanum(Ⅲ) extraction separation from high-level liquid waste (HLLW) was proposed, with N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) as the extractant, tri-n‑butyl phosphate (TBP) as the phase modifier and 2,6-bis[1-(propan-1-ol)-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]pyridine (PyTri-Diol or PTD) as hydrophilic stripping agent. This 'hot test' was successfully carried out, achieving 99.92% removal of americium-241 (241Am) with a separation factor SF(Eu/Am) of 3.8 × 103 in the actinide(Ⅲ) product solution. The results show that bisamide podand extractants can effectively realize the extraction and separation of actinide(Ⅲ) and lanthanum(Ⅲ) from Chinese commercial HLLW and thus have a bright practical application potential for the treatment of commercial HLLW.
In this work, we proposed a new U(Ⅵ) removal strategy combining adsorption and photocatalytic reduction by the PMo12/UiO-66 heterojunctions. The PMo12 has been encapsulated in the cavities of UiO-66 by a one-step hydrothermal method, and the PMo12/UiO-66 exhibited high adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity. The maximal theoretical sorption capacity of U(Ⅵ) on 15% PMo12/UiO-66 reached 225.36 mg/g and the photoreduction rate of 15% PMo12/UiO-66 is about thirty times as much as UiO-66. Under the light irradiation, the photogenerated electrons rapidly transport from UiO-66 to PMo12, and the photo-generated electrons could efficiently reduce the pre-enriched U(Ⅵ) to U(Ⅳ). This work provides new insights into remediation of the radioactive environment.
Quantitative information, such as environmental migration, absorption, biodistribution, biotransformation, and elimination, is fundamental and essential for the nanosafety evaluations of nanomaterials. Due to the complexity of biological and environmental systems, it is challenging to develop quantitative approaches and tools that could characterize intrinsic behaviors of nanomaterials in the organisms. The isotopic tracers are ideal candidates to tune the physical properties of nanomaterials while preserving their chemical properties. In this review article, we summarized the stable isotope labeling methods of nanomaterials for evaluating their environmental and biological effects. The skeleton labeling protocols of carbon nanomaterials and metal/metal oxide nanoparticles were introduced. The advantages and disadvantages of stable isotope labeling were discussed in comparison with other quantitative methods for nanomaterials. The quantitative information of nanomaterials in environmental and biological systems was summarized along with the biosafety data. The benefits for drug development of nanomedicine were analyzed based on the targeting effects, persistent accumulation, and safety. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of stable isotope labeling in nanoscience and nanotechnology were discussed.
Photocatalytic removal of uranium has attracted much attention in nuclear wastewater treatment and it is highly needed to develop functional photocatalyst with excellent removal performance. In this work, seven kinds of carbon dots/carbon nitride (CDs/CN) composites were synthesized and SerCDs/CN with the best photo-assisted uranium removal performance was screened out. It was found that the introduction of CDs could bring in higher photocurrent density, lower interfacial charge transfer impedance and narrower band gap, resulting in a much-improved removal performance. SerCDs/CN had shown a removal capacity as high as 1690 mg/g and the reaction could be operated under air atmosphere which is promising in real application.
As one of the most common cancers in the world, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become a major threat to human health. Radioembolization is a first-line option for the treatment of HCC, especially when other conventional treatments fail or there exist some relative contraindications. Herein, we developed a facile and efficient method for preparing 177Lu-microspheres potentially useful for precise radioembolization therapy of HCC. The radiolabeling efficiency of 177Lu-microspheres was as high as 96.8% ± 0.5%, and the radiolabeling process did not alter the morphology of the mother microspheres. The SPECT/CT studies enabled by the unique emissions of 177Lu suggested that almost no 177Lu ion loaded by the microspheres was released over more than 32 d in vivo, which led to remarkable inhibition effect on the growth of HepG2 tumors subcutaneously transplanted in mice. The current approach may thus offer promising 177Lu-microspheres for clinical radioembolization of HCC.
Actinide metallacycles are an emerging class of functional coordination assemblies, but multi-level assembly from metallacycle units toward hierarchical supramolecular structures are still rarely investigated. In this work, we put forward a novel supramolecular inclusion-based method through introducing two macrocyclic hosts, cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) to facilitate hierarchical assembly of uranyl metallacycles with higher complexity, and successfully prepare two different kinds of uranyl metallacycle-based complexes with intriguing hierarchical structures, a CB[7]-based four-member molecular necklace ([4]MN) and a CB[8]-involved ring-in-ring supramolecular polymer chain. The results obtained here prove the feasibility of supramolecular inclusion for regulating coordination assembly of uranyl metallacycles and related hierarchical structures. It is believed that this method can be used to achieve the construction of actinide coordination assemblies with higher structural complexity.
The radionuclide (RN) migration study is not only helpful to understand environmental behavior of RNs, but also can establish the basis for the safety assessment of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). In the context of China's HLW disposal, this review briefly summaries the progress of China's RN migration studies over the past decade regarding three aspects, RN sorption, RN transport and radioactive colloid. Domestic studies from other disciplines (such as geology and environmental science) are also included in this review because they can provide references for the RN migration study. Overall, China has achieved clear progress in RN migration study over the past decade, although large-scaled field experiments are lacked and a gap still exists comparing with the international advanced level. Finally, several suggestions are proposed for future RN migration research in China.
Abnormal Tau deposition is a crucial pathological hallmark of various neurodegenerative disorders defined as tauopathies, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most prominent one. To date, a large number of chemical entities with different structures have been developed as Tau imaging tracers for the early diagnosis of tauopathies. Several of them with excellent bio-properties are currently being assessed in clinical trials, and more recently, the TauvidTM ([18F]Flortaucipir, also known as [18F]AV1451 or [18F]T807) as the first Tau tracer was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2020. This review summarized the latest development of Tau tracers and analyzed their chemical structures, with particular attention to the effects of chemical structures on biological properties. In addition, we also discuss the limitations of current Tau imaging tracers, issues that need attention in the development of new tracers, and possible future directions.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the liver, but early diagnosis and effective treatment are still difficult. With the development of radionuclide applications in medicine, nuclear medicine is playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Radionuclide-based positron emission tomography-computed tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography molecular imaging are indispensable for assessing progression, staging, differentiation, preoperative planning, postoperative prediction, and evaluation of HCC in clinical applications. Moreover, radionuclide-based endoradiotherapy provides an objective therapeutic strategy for patients with unresectable advanced HCC. This review highlights the application and development of radionuclides in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. More efforts are warranted for the development of advanced radionuclides to make significant contributions in the treatment of HCC.
With the rapid development of the nuclear industry, more-stringent requirements are proposed for high-level radioactive waste liquid treatment and the enrichment of isotope products. High-pressure ion exchange chromatography has been widely accepted for the fine separation of elements and nuclides due to its advantages, such as high efficiency, environmental friendliness, ease of operation, and feasibility for large-scale industrial applications. Here, we summarized the evolution of high-pressure ion exchange chromatography and the relevant research progress in ion exchange equilibrium and related separation technology. The prospects for application of high-pressure ion exchange chromatography to rare earth elements, actinide elements and isotope separation were discussed. High-pressure ion exchange chromatography represents a promising strategy for the extraction of rare earth elements and actinide elements from high-level radioactive waste liquid, as well as being an effective method for the automated production of high purity isotope products with great environmental benefits.
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