Abstract We have investigated the effects of Mo and W doping on BiVO4 by means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The V 2p XPS spectra indicate that the substitution of W6+ and Mo6+ for V5+ induces the formation of V4+ species. In addition, the Bi 4f XPS spectra exhibit a minor Bi5+ component, which further contributes to an increase in the V4+ concentration. A V 3d-derived feature emerges at approximately 1.5 eV below the Fermi level and is associated with the enhanced catalytic activity of Mo- and W-doped BiVO4. The center of mass of the V 3d spectral distribution is shifted toward the Fermi level with increasing dopant concentration, suggesting the importance of the long-range d-d Coulomb interaction in determining the electronic structure of the localized V 3d states.
Abstract Thermoelectric materials capable of operating at 600–900 °C are attractive for recovering industrial and nuclear waste heat toward a carbon-neutral society. Here, we report the structure-guided enhancement of high-temperature thermoelectric performance in natural weathered biotite (WB) through molten-salt treatment using a KCl–CaCl2 mixed salt (molar ratio 3:1) combined with systematic process optimization. The effects of WB particle size (<45 and 45–75 μm), salt addition ratio (1/100–1/1 by mass relative to WB), and compaction pressure (150–200 MPa) on crystal structure, densification behavior, and thermoelectric transport properties were systematically examined. Structural and compositional analyses revealed progressive incorporation of K and Ca with increasing salt addition while largely preserving the layered WB framework, together with additional diffraction features indicating reaction-induced structural modifications. Among the conditions investigated, samples prepared from WB with an intermediate particle size of 45–75 μm exhibited relatively high packing densities (>70%) at low salt addition levels and showed enhanced electrical conductivity, whereas excessive particle refinement (<45 μm) suppressed electrical transport, indicating that the transport response is sensitive to particle-size-dependent packing and processing-induced microstructural variation. High-temperature measurements further revealed exceptionally large Seebeck coefficients of up to ∼1.9 × 105 μV K–1, indicating that nonelectronic contributions may be involved in the observed thermovoltage. At present, the origin of this anomalously large response has not been conclusively established and requires further dedicated investigation. As a result of the cooperative optimization of particle size, salt addition, and compaction pressure, a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit of ZT = 0.29 at 667 °C was achieved, representing a marked improvement in this material system. These results demonstrate that microstructural control and densification strongly influence the measured thermoelectric response in layered silicate minerals and provide useful process–structure–property insights for natural mineral-derived high-temperature thermoelectric materials.
Abstract This work aims to investigate the effects of the melt electrospinning process on the properties of ternary blend poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL/PEO/PEG) fibers. The utterly different morphology of the specimens before and after melt electrospinning acknowledges the significant effect of melt electrospinning on the sample’s properties. However, it does not chemically alter the samples. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images showed that PEO and PEG behave differently in the PCL matrix, producing distinctly different morphologies in the respective binary blend fibers. Differences in morphology also lead to differences in the crystallization behavior of the specimen. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also reveal that although PEO and PEG are fundamentally the same polymer with different molecular weights, their behaviors in the PCL matrix are entirely different; PEG mostly remains in the amorphous state, while PEO can form its crystalline structure. Hence, the final morphology of the ternary melt electrospun fiber is a combination of the morphology of PCL/PEO and PCL/PEG binary blends. Preliminary biological tests showed that the porosity created by the removal of the PEO and PEG hydrophilic phases improved fibroblast metabolic activity, highlighting the potential of this system for further investigation in bone tissue engineering applications.
Abstract 1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (HMX) is a widely used energetic material with high energy density but limited thermal safety. In this work, we systematically investigate the effects of moisture on the thermal stability and combustion behavior of HMX using HMX/H2O mixtures with mass ratios of 10:0, 9:1, 8:2, and 7:3. Polarizing microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that the addition of water does not alter the crystal phase or molecular structure of HMX. As the moisture content increased, the peak temperature of thermal decomposition for HMX samples treated with different water ratios shifted slightly to higher values, while the friction sensitivity decreased significantly. In addition, the 5-second explosion point temperature rose and the ignition delay time was prolonged, along with decreased flame luminosity and burning rate. These combined experimental observations demonstrate an improvement in the overall thermal safety performance of the samples. Under the specific conditions of this study, compared with samples of other mass ratios, 10 wt % water provides a favorable balance between reduced sensitivity and retained combustion performance. It is worth noting that the open-air combustion experimental results show that when the water content increases to 20 wt %, complete combustion cannot be achieved despite further enhanced thermal stability. These findings illustrate the regulatory role of water in the thermal decomposition, thermal explosion, ignition, and combustion behaviors of HMX. This study provides valuable insights into the safe disposal and combustion applications of energetic materials.
Abstract The ternary chalcogenide AgBiS2 has emerged as a promising lead-free photovoltaic absorber due to its high optical absorption, tunable bandgap (∼1.3 eV), and nontoxic composition. In this work, we present a comprehensive numerical study of AgBiS2-based thin-film solar cells using a one-dimensional solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D). The influence of absorber thickness, defect density, bandgap variation, and charge transport layers on device performance is systematically analyzed. The optimized single-junction architecture─FTO/TiO2/AgBiS2/Cu2O─achieves a simulated power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.98% under AM1.5G illumination. Because of its high absorption, a two-terminal tandem structure combining AgBiS2 as the bottom cell with Cs2AgBiBr6 (top cell) is also modeled, achieving a PCE of 23.47% after current matching. Simulations reveal that AgBiS2 thickness and defect density critically impact both Jsc and Voc, while Cu2O and TiO2 provide optimal band alignment and charge extraction. The results demonstrate the potential of AgBiS2 as an efficient, environmentally benign absorber for next-generation tandem photovoltaics and establish theoretical design guidelines for future experimental development.
Abstract The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment has become a significant analytical and ecological concern because of their continuous release, persistence, and potential adverse effects. Their occurrence at trace levels, combined with the complexity of environmental matrixes, necessitates efficient extraction and preconcentration prior to instrumental determination. This review critically evaluates the performance of conventional extraction techniques, namely, liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE), compared with their miniaturized versions for the extraction and preconcentration of pharmaceuticals in environmental samples. Representative peer-reviewed studies were critically evaluated, focusing on reported extraction recoveries, enrichment factors, and practical advantages and limitations. Conventional LLE and SPE have recoveries ranging from 9 to 120% and are limited by higher solvent consumption and longer processing times. Miniaturized techniques generally achieved improved enrichment (7.3–273.0-fold enrichment) and recoveries between 9.4 and 229.0% while significantly reducing solvent usage and enhancing sensitivity. Recoveries exceeding the accepted range may reflect matrix effects or analytical bias and should, therefore, be interpreted with caution. Beyond recovery and enrichment trends, this review also synthesizes and compares extraction techniques based on practical performance characteristics, including simplicity, rapidness, selectivity, versatility, greenness, and reusability to support informed method selection. While miniaturized techniques excel in rapidness, greenness, and selectivity, the conventional techniques remain the best in terms of simplicity and versatility. The review confirms that no single extraction technique can be regarded as universally superior. Therefore, method selection should balance the analytical performance with operational practicality, environmental sustainability, and cost. Continued improvement of extraction techniques is recommended to further enhance the pharmaceutical monitoring in environmental systems.
Abstract This study investigates the influence of ether (C–O–C) and aliphatic (C–H) functionalities on competitive adsorption in porous materials. Therefore, comparative isothermal adsorption experiments with dimethyl ether (DME) and propane (C3H8) were performed on FAU-type X zeolites (NaX and CaNaX) between −20 and 25 °C. Breakthrough curves measured by FTIR on fixed beds were used to derive both pure-component and binary mixture isotherms. Additionally, mixture equilibria were calculated using the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST). Due to its permanent dipole, DME exhibits significantly stronger cation–dipole interactions compared to nonpolar propane, resulting in higher loadings, especially at low concentrations. This effect is more significant on CaNaX, where divalent Ca2+ ions provide stronger electrostatic interaction sites. In contrast, propane adsorption is governed primarily by weaker dispersion and induced-dipole interactions, leading to lower affinities and capacities under the same conditions. In binary adsorption, a pronounced selectivity toward DME is observed for both zeolites across the entire temperature range. DME largely reaches its pure-component loadings, while propane is almost completely displaced. However, deviations occur on CaNaX at lower temperatures, where kinetic limitations prevent complete displacement of propane, resulting in residual propane loadings and reduced DME capacities. Mixture isotherms calculated using IAST qualitatively capture the strong selectivity and competitive behavior but show quantitative deviations from the experimental data, particularly at low loadings.
Abstract Alkaline pre-impregnation prior to soda-anthraquinone pulping of oil palm empty fruit bunches enables conversion into highly delignified, high-strength cellulosic matrices. A 23 factorial design was established to evaluate the main and interaction effects of pre-impregnation variables─temperature, time, and alkali charge─against conventional soda-anthraquinone pulping. While pulp yield was invariant, pulp and paper properties were strongly governed by distinct main and two-way interaction effects. Crucially, temperature dominated the pulp viscosity, burst, and tearing indices. Leveraging this insight, an inter-stage washing step was integrated while fixing temperature at a lower level to preserve fiber integrity, with the remaining conditions anchored by the factorial model. This integrated sequence significantly outperformed conventional and unwashed two-stage alternatives by removing dissolved lignin, while maximizing the retention of structural hemicelluloses to promote fiber bonding, yielding a lower kappa number (10.4) alongside elevated tensile (22.68 N·m/g), burst (4.40 kPa·m2/g), and tearing (8.36 mN·m2/g) indices. These findings provide an efficient, low-temperature framework for agricultural residue valorization into high-strength bio-based materials.
Abstract Cyclo[6]carbon (C6), the smallest even-membered cyclocarbon, provides a stringent platform for examining how a highly strained sp-hybridized carbon ring responds to changes in electronic state. Here, we investigate the structural, electronic, magnetic-response, excited-state, and stability/reactivity features of C6 using density functional theory, time-dependent density functional theory, ab initio molecular dynamics, and a CASSCF(12,12) occupation-number analysis. The optimized S0 structure is strictly planar and shows pronounced bond-angle alternation together with nearly uniform C–C bond lengths, indicating that its bonding cannot be described by a simple localized alternating-bond picture. Real-space descriptors, including IRI-π and ELF-π, outline a continuous dual-π delocalized framework in S0 and provide the electronic reference for analyzing state-dependent magnetic responses. Magnetic-response analyses based on ACID, ICSSzz, and NICSzz further show that the selected high-spin quintet Q1 state undergoes a pronounced reversal from the diatropic response of S0 to a paratropic response. A CASSCF(12,12) occupation-number analysis supports a predominantly closed-shell description of S0 C6, with no indication of pronounced open-shell multireference character, thereby supporting the qualitative interpretation of the DFT-based descriptors. Density-of-states and representative excited-state analyses further indicate that changes in electronic-state occupation redistribute electron density within the πin and πout manifolds, providing additional electronic-structure context for state-dependent changes within the dual-π framework. AIMD simulations indicate that the S0 ring framework is kinetically stable at low temperature but becomes increasingly flexible at elevated temperature, while ESP and ALIE analyses identify the C–C framework as the main reactive region. These results reveal a pronounced aromaticity reversal in the high-spin Q1 state and highlight the spin-state-dependent magnetic response of the dual-π framework in C6.
Abstract Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) capable of generating reactive oxygen species under near-infrared (NIR) excitation have emerged as promising platforms for biomedical applications, particularly photodynamic therapy and immune-related modulation. Here, we investigate the biological application of core–shell UCNPs functionalized with a photosensitizer for the intracellular generation of singlet oxygen (1O2). The nanoparticles exhibited reproducible morphology, phase purity, and strong upconversion emission intensity, enabling efficient activation under NIR excitation. Murine RAW 264.7 macrophages were employed as a model of innate immune cells to evaluate nanoparticle uptake, cytocompatibility, and light-triggered 1O2 production. Luminescence-based assays and microscopy analyses confirmed efficient cellular internalization and localized 1O2 generation upon low-energy NIR excitation, while cytotoxicity studies demonstrated low basal toxicity in the absence of irradiation. Upon photoactivation, a significant reduction in cell viability was observed, consistent with photodynamically induced oxidative stress. These results further demonstrate that UCNP-based nanoplatforms can function as effective intracellular generators of reactive oxygen species in phagocytic immune cells and highlight their potential for photodynamic therapy (PDT), redox modulation, and to study molecular interactions at the cell membrane level.
Abstract Plasma membrane vesicles (PMVs) are powerful model systems for studying plasma membrane biophysics, but their production typically relies on chemicals, such as dithiothreitol (DTT) and paraformaldehyde (PFA). DTT is detrimental to protein structure and can alter membrane composition, whereas PFA is a well-established fixative that is widely used in biological studies. Taking this into consideration, we introduced a DTT-free method for generating PMVs using PFA alone. Using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, we validated its robustness across multiple cell types. Measurements with the environment-sensitive probe C-Laurdan show that PMVs produced with PFA plus DTT display higher lipid packing compared to those generated with PFA alone, indicating an effect of DTT on membrane order. Furthermore, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measurements reveal reduced mobility of the immune receptor cluster of differentiation 1d (CD1d) on DTT-treated PMVs. During the evaluation of PMVs in coculture experiments, we further identified residual PFA as the source of cellular toxicity, which was successfully eliminated by dialysis. Finally, we demonstrate the biological applicability of the resulting PMVs by assessing T-cell activation, showing that they preserve key physiological properties of the source cells. Overall, our findings suggest that PMVs generated using PFA alone more faithfully preserve the native properties of the source cell plasma membrane than those produced with the conventional PFA plus DTT protocol. Combined with the effective removal of residual PFA by dialysis, this approach expands the potential of PMVs as physiologically relevant model systems for biological and biomedical research.
Abstract Acrylic/alkyd hybrid coatings effectively combine the superior adhesion and gloss of alkyd resins with the chemical and mechanical resilience of acrylic polymers. However, their removal typically necessitates the use of hazardous petroleum-derived solvents. This study evaluates the application of vegetable oil methyl esters (VOMEs)─synthesized via alkaline transesterification of soybean oil─as a biobased and efficient alternative for paint degradation and removal. Commercial acrylic/alkyd paint films were exposed to VOMEs for varying durations (15–120 min) and characterized using mass change analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and elongation testing. Mass change analysis indicated a maximum film mass increase of 10.51% after 120 min, due to the sorption of VOMEs into the paint film. The TGA data revealed an additional mass loss between 150 and 260 °C in the treated films, attributed to the thermal release of sorbed VOMEs. Furthermore, the FTIR-ATR spectra demonstrated that this solvent uptake disrupted the cross-linking and aromatic structures of the paint film. Mechanical characterization confirmed significant structural weakening, as evidenced by a 97% reduction in time to failure. Practical assays on glass, carbon steel plates and cladding stone substrates achieved complete paint removal within 55 min. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that these biobased VOMEs remain thermally stable up to 150 °C, preventing premature thermal release during stripping operations and positioning them as promising, environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional stripping agents. Hansen solubility parameters and relative energy difference values indicate that the main VOMEs components drive the stripping action by weakening interchain forces, which promotes blistering, curling, and swelling and thereby facilitate coating removal.
Abstract The Bohai N extra-heavy oil reservoir suffers from severe inter-well steam channeling, high water cut, and high water recovery rate during cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), which is primarily caused by preferential flow paths formed by interchannel microfacies (low-quality reservoirs with permeability of 200–500 mD and water saturation of 40–70%). Conventional nitrogen foam cannot effectively plug such channels due to its insufficient mechanical strength and long-term stability. In this study, a high-strength, high-temperature-resistant, and degradable inorganic gel (HSHTR-IG) was developed. Its optimal formula is determined as 20 wt % polysulfonated magnesium aluminum silicate (main agent), 3 wt % polyamide (cross-linker), 1 wt % stabilizer, and 1 wt % high-temperature corrosion inhibitor. Laboratory tests show that the system has a thermal decomposition temperature of 380 °C; after aging at 350 °C for 30 days, its breakthrough pressure reaches 3.96 MPa, and the plugging efficiency exceeds 97.5%. CMG STARS simulations predict that HSHTR-IG can divert steam into high-quality pay zones, increasing the steam sweep efficiency from 42% to 68%. Field application in Well A15H increased the daily oil production from 30 m3 to 63 m3, reduced the water cut from 75% to 54%, and achieved an input–output ratio of 6.29 at an oil price of $50 per barrel. This work provides a reliable enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique for offshore extra-heavy oil reservoirs with well-developed preferential flow paths.
Abstract Polymer informatics has emerged as an area of interest in the search for more sustainable plastics. Yet, there is a dearth in large, high-quality, polymer-based materials databases that are open-source for the polymer research community. Efforts to curate such databases involve autogenerating large experimental materials databases by mining chemical data from scientific literature, with a specific focus on mining tabular data as these are particularly rich sources of polymeric information. This study compares the performance of two tools in extracting large volumes of tabular data about polymer names and their glass-transition, melting and decomposition temperatures: a table-extraction tool that employs a downstream neural network to resolve polymer names from the table fields, and the table-mining part of the “chemistry-aware” natural-language-processing tool, ChemDataExtractor. We find that both methods afford high precision. The recall of the former is boosted by preserving some of the implicit structure of the source tables, while the latter offers a far wider scope of knowledge extraction from the literature on polymer science.
Abstract Histamine is a key immune regulator involved in allergic and inflammatory responses and is implicated in a range of immune dysregulation disorders. Reliable, continuous detection of histamine remains challenging due to its low concentrations and dynamic levels of release. In this investigation, the interaction of histamine with pristine and doped graphene monolayers, including oxygen-, boron nitride-, and silicon-doped graphene, was examined as a basis for potential biosensor materials. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to evaluate adsorption energies, defect formation energies, charge transfer, band structures, and recovery times. The results reveal that pristine graphene exhibits a weak interaction with histamine and a negligible electronic response. Silicon-doped graphene shows high sensitivity but exhibits excessively long recovery times. In contrast, graphene oxide with an oxygen concentration of 6.25% and boron nitride-doped graphene with a concentration of 12.5% display moderate adsorption energies, short recovery times, and favorable electronic responses. Notably, graphene oxide with a concentration of 6.25% exhibits band gap closure at the Fermi level following histamine adsorption. These results indicate that oxygen- and boron nitride-doped graphene monolayers with concentrations of 6.25% and 12.5%, respectively, are promising materials for histamine-sensing applications.
Abstract A PFAD-based amide corrosion inhibitor was synthesized from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), an abundant palm oil refining byproduct in Thailand, and diethylenetriamine (DETA) to enhance PFAD value and reduce inhibitor production costs. The synthesized amide was confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and FTIR analyses. Its inhibition performance for X65 carbon steel in CO2-saturated 1 wt % NaCl solution was evaluated using LPR, PDP, and EIS at different concentrations. PDP and LPR results showed pronounced decreases in corrosion current density and corrosion rate, with the highest efficiencies of 67.09% and 71.85%, respectively, at 300 ppm, while EIS after 24 h showed a maximum efficiency of 81.97% at 500 ppm. The inhibition performance was attributed to the formation of an adsorbed protective film, demonstrating the potential of PFAD-derived amides as cost-effective and sustainable corrosion inhibitors for oil and gas pipelines.
Abstract Serological diagnosis of neglected arboviruses remains hindered by extensive intra-genus cross-reactivity, compromising both assay specificity and epidemiological accuracy. In this study, we focused on yellow fever virus (YFV) as a model system to design and validate a generalizable de novo protein design framework integrating evolutionary genomics with structural modeling to rationally engineer diagnostic antigens with reduced cross-reactivity and improved cost-effectiveness. Through comprehensive evolutionary mapping over time of the YFV polyprotein, we identified conserved yet discriminatory peptide regions within the NS1 protein and selected one peptide to guide scaffold-based protein design while preserving critical structural constraints. As a complementary strategy to develop antibody alternatives for antigen detection assays, we also implemented an in silico RNA aptamer design pipeline to circumvent the time and cost limitations of conventional in vitro Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX) technique. Nevertheless, NS1-targeting aptamers demonstrated limited sensitivity and specificity upon experimental validation. In contrast, structure-guided design of the NS1-derived protein (YFV-Scaffold) yielded a thermally stable, highly expressible recombinant protein, which demonstrated sensitivity and specificity comparable to those of commercially available full-length NS1 in in-house ELISA assays. Circular dichroism analysis revealed minimal denaturation up to 94 °C and complete recovery of secondary structure upon cooling, underscoring its remarkable structural resilience. Collectively, our results establish an evolutionary dynamics-aware strategy for target-antigen design, providing a scalable platform for the rational design of robust, low-cost diagnostic proteins applicable to a wide range of viral pathogens.
Abstract Accurate knowledge of the refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (κ) dispersions is essential for understanding the optical response of thin-film materials used in photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and related photonic applications. However, transmission-based dispersion extraction becomes unreliable for turbid, colloidal, nanostructured, or strongly absorbing thin films, where low transmission or scattering prevents accurate spectral evaluation. In this work, we introduce a reflectance-only framework based on the Paul wavelet transform applied to normal-incidence reflectance spectra. The method exploits repetition frequency analysis of interference fringes to retrieve continuous dispersions of n and κ without requiring a predefined dispersion model. The wavelet order provides explicit control over the joint spectral-Fourier resolution, allowing optimization for a given data set. The approach is validated through simulation studies and a noisy signal test with 10% additive random noise, and benchmarked against Minkov’s reflectance-based envelope/extrema method. Under noisy conditions, the proposed method preserves the refractive index trend close to the reference behavior, whereas the envelope-based approach shows larger deviations. The extinction coefficient is more sensitive to noise in both methods, although the wavelet-based retrieval remains comparatively stable. Experimental validation on a CdS thin film demonstrates consistency of the refractive index dispersion with literature data, while deviations in the extinction coefficient are attributed to its sensitivity to absorption-related and microstructural variations. The method requires independent film thickness information, as in all interference-based approaches, but is otherwise nondestructive and model-free, making it suitable for a broad range of thin-film systems including doped semiconductors, colloidal nanostructures, and hybrid organic–inorganic materials where conventional transmission or ellipsometric methods are difficult to apply.
Abstract Loss of linearity significantly weakens hydrogen bonds. However, this energy penalty can be partially compensated by the formation of a second hydrogen bond. Theoretical calculations presented in this work demonstrate that such bifurcated hydrogen bonds play a key role in the surface diffusion of adsorbed molecules. In particular, for a model MCM-41 silica surface with characteristics consistent with experimental observations, the activation barrier for pyridine diffusion via the bifurcated hydrogen-bond mechanism is approximately 20 kJ/mol, which is significantly lower than the desorption energy of pyridine from the silica surface (>50 kJ/mol). Owing to the low density of surface silanol groups, MCM-41 approximates a limiting case in which the diffusion of pyridine on the silica surface requires overcoming an exceptionally high energy barrier. For most amorphous silica materials, the density of surface silanol groups is higher, and surface diffusion is therefore expected to dominate completely over desorption at room temperature when the surface coverage of pyridine is significantly below monolayer saturation.
Abstract Rare earth elements (REEs) have been identified as “critical” metals because of their strategic applications in high-end energy devices such as wind turbine generators for enhanced energy production, permanent magnets, and electric vehicle batteries. Coal, on the other hand, is a conventional energy source and has been used for combustion-based energy production. Ash is generated as a waste product during combustion. Both combustion and ash waste are detrimental to the clean energy goal. The study demonstrates the extraction of REEs from coal ash and aims to present coal as a potential clean energy resource. Coal ash can be used as a material that can be potentially recycled to obtain REEs. In this study, a microfluidic technology-based coiled flow inverter (CFI) device has been employed for extracting REEs from coal ash. A liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) process has been carried out employing CFI microfluidic technology (CFI-MT), using an organic extracting liquid (D2EHPA diluted with kerosene). The results obtained in this work show that CFI-MT can have significant enhancements in extraction efficiencies with respect to batch extraction. The study demonstrates the future application of CFI-MT as a promising and intensified method for the REE extraction process through waste recycling. Furthermore, the novel aspect of the present study corresponds to the first-time application of CFI-MT for REE extraction from coal ash. The study also demonstrates CFI-MT as a promising tool for exploiting waste materials as an alternate resource for metal extraction.
