On July 13, 2025, Advanced Science (Impact Factor: 14.1), a top journal in the field of materials science, published online a paper titled “Serine Grafted Silica Coated Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron with Enhanced Fenton-Like Degradation of Mixed Organic Solvents of Tributyl Phosphate and n-dodecane” by the team of Associate Professor Xu Lejin from the School of Energy and Power Engineering, who is also a supervisor of ICARE. The team has innovatively developed a serine-grafted silica-coated nanoscale zero-valent iron (Ser-SiO₂@nZVI) catalyst, providing an efficient and safe new solution for the treatment of radioactive spent organic solvents generated from nuclear fuel reprocessing. Huazhong University of Science and Technology is the first completing unit, PhD student Sun Peijie is the first author of the paper, and Associate Professor Xu Lejin is the corresponding author.

The team led by Associate Professor Xu Lejin has long been deeply engaged in research on nuclear waste treatment and new nanomaterials. This achievement not only provides theoretical support for the modification of iron-based materials but also opens up a new path for the treatment of radioactive organic waste liquids. The Ser-SiO₂@nZVI catalyst is expected to be applied to the treatment of waste oil in nuclear power plants, and at the same time, it provides a universal solution for the degradation of other hydrophobic organic pollutants, which is of great significance for promoting the green development of the nuclear industry.

DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fadvs.202509319