Magnetron sputtering ultra-thin TiO₂ films for photocatalytic reduction of uranium

A series of pretreatment processes of seawater desalination provide a clean and relatively stable environment for uranium(VI) (U(VI)) extraction from seawater. The continuous supply of U(VI) leads to an ideal scenario for the application of photocatalytic U(VI) extraction. In this paper, TiO₂ films were prepared on the surface of fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) by magnetron sputtering, and a combined device for seawater uranium extraction and desalination was designed. TiO₂/FTO films demonstrate efficient and stable U(VI) processing capacity with the uranium extraction ratio reaches 99.98 % and the extraction amount is as high as 15,115.33 mg/g after 60 min of illumination. Under UV light irradiation, the continuous uranium extraction ratio of TiO₂/FTO reached more than 70 % after 5.0 min intervals, and the cumulative uranium extraction mass reached 71.13 mg/g after 60 min in 200 mL at 50 μg/L. Simultaneously, the sterilization ratio reached 99.39 % after UV irradiation for 5.0 min. In conclusion, TiO₂/FTO has the prospect of synergistic application of seawater uranium extraction and seawater desalination.