Recent advances in functional materials for uranium monitoring through optical and electrochemical techniques

Abstract

Uranium is a naturally occurring element widely employed in nuclear energy production and various industrial applications. However, it poses substantial risks to the environment and human health due to its combined radiological and chemical toxicity, thereby making rapid, accurate, and field-deployable detection technologies critical. Conventional detection methods, including atomic absorption or fluorescence spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy, are limited by their high costs, complicated operational procedures, and dependence on specialized laboratory facilities, which severely restrict their practical on-site applications. To address these limitations, significant advances have been made in recent years in the development of functional materials for uranium sensing, especially metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), nanomaterials, DNAzymes, and other emerging materials. These materials support versatile optical and electrochemical detection strategies, such as fluorescence, colorimetry, and electrochemical sensing, which offer high sensitivity, fast response, and considerable potential for real-time field monitoring. This review highlights recent advances in the detection mechanisms, sensing performance, and practical advantages and limitations of various sensing systems. Finally, a comparative analysis is presented to identify key challenges and provide perspectives for the future development of efficient and reliable uranium detection technologies.