The selective enrichment and separation of rare earth elements (REEs) are essential for sustainable high-tech applications. Here, a polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) incorporating the ionic liquid [A336][P507] was developed for effective adsorption and transport of Gd(III) and Lu(III) in acidic aqueous solutions. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed that the P-O and P--O functional groups actively coordinated with RE(III) ions, while the ionic liquid enhanced the membrane's porosity and hydrophilicity, promoting mass transfer and adsorption efficiency. Static adsorption experiments demonstrated equilibrium capacities of 35.11 mg & sdot;g-1 for Lu(III) and 29.20 mg & sdot;g-1 for Gd(III), with a separation factor alpha(Lu/Gd) of 1.20. These results indicate that the PIM modified with [A336][P507] exhibits high selectivity. Dynamic transport studies revealed an improved separation factor beta(Gd/Lu) of 1.34 and high initial membrane flux, indicating effective membrane-mediated ion transport. The PIM also exhibited moderate stability and recyclability, with 27 % and 24.6 % decreases in adsorption capacity and permeation flux, respectively, after five adsorption-desorption and transport cycles.

This work examines the thermophysical properties, (density, volumetric properties, electrical conductivity, viscosity) of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate (IL-PSI)-sugar-water system at 298.15 K. Experimental density (rho) and viscosity (eta) data were analyzed using the Redlich-Mayer and Jones-Dole equations to obtain the apparent molar volume (V Phi) and the viscosity B-coefficient, respectively. Kohlrausch's law was used to determine the limiting molar conductivity (Lambda 0), and the Walden product (Lambda 0 eta 0) was subsequently calculated. Critical aggregation concentrations were identified through conductometric measurements, and the related aggregation thermodynamics were quantified via a pseudophase model. Through this thermodynamic analysis, solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions were probed to shed light on the microscopic organization of these systems.

Public concern over water pollution caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is increasing, underscoring the practical challenge posed by the lack of efficient degradation technologies for these highly persistent contaminants. As a green and effective advanced oxidation process (AOP), electrochemical oxidation (EO) offers considerable advantages in treating refractory organic pollutants. In particular, boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes have demonstrated promising potential for degrading perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), but their underlying degradation mechanisms remain unclear, and key process parameters have yet to be systematically optimized. To address these issues, this study combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations with electrochemical experiments to systematically explore the behavior and mechanism of EO degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid by silicon-doped boron-doped diamond (Si/BDD) electrodes. The Si/BDD electrode paired with Na2SO4 electrolyte constitutes the optimal system, which attains nearly complete PFOA removal (≥ 99%) within 120 min under optimized operational parameters: an initial PFOA concentration of 5 ppm, current density of 15 mA cm−2, pH of 2.0, and temperature of 60 °C. Radical quenching experiments and DFT analyses confirmed that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) serve as the primary reactive species, and PFOA degradation proceeds via a pathway involving sequential defluorination and stepwise carbon-chain shortening, with the carbonyl oxygen acting as the preferred site for electrophilic attack. Comparative experiments further indicated higher degradation efficiency for long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the EO of PFOA on boron-doped diamond electrodes, offering theoretical support and process guidance for the efficient electrochemical treatment of PFAS pollutants, while broadening the technical pathways for remediation of water contaminated by persistent organic compounds.

The crystallization kinetics of zeolites (e.g., ZSM-5) have scientific and industrial significance for chemical engineering. However, their nucleation mechanism at the microscopic level remains unclear because nucleation is the rare event in the complex multicomponent system. Here, we developed a coarse-grained reactive zeolite assembly model (CG-ReZAM) that captures the dynamic microscopic details of silicate polymerization with organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs). Taking the MFI-type zeolite as the case study, the four characteristic stages of silicate polymerization are reproduced: oligomerization, ring formation, cluster aggregation, and aging. We further introduced the cluster-weighted root-mean-square deviation (cRMSD) as a collective variable (CV) combined with the ratcheting scheme to enhance sampling of nucleation events. This approach accelerates the formation of ordered MFI-type zeolites within feasible time scales and reveals the full transformation pathway from amorphous aggregates to ordered crystals. During growth, we observed the ordered arrangements of tetrapropylammonium (TPA+) cations within the growing framework, confirming their structure-directing role in stabilizing long-range order. The critical nucleus size extracted from mean first-passage time (MFPT) analysis is consistent with experimental observations and further demonstrates the reliability of our method of combining our CG-ReZAM with an enhanced-sampling strategy for zeolite crystallization. Overall, this framework offers valuable theoretical insights into supporting the rational design of zeolite materials for applications in catalysis and separation.

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are cyanide-bridged coordination polymers that exhibit significant capabilities in various fields. However, their practical performance is inherently constrained by structural defects, particularly lattice vacancies and coordinated water, which are intrinsic to conventional solution-based syntheses. Local microenvironment engineering refers to regulating the crystallization process of PBAs by tuning the local microenvironment around the PBA nucleation sites, from thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives. While previous reviews have extensively discussed the properties and applications of PBAs, this review provides a timely and comprehensive examination of how local microenvironment engineering customizes the formation and functionality of PBAs. The fundamental structural features, synthetic routes, and regulatory mechanisms are elucidated by categorizing their roles in modulating coordination microenvironment, redox microenvironment, and solvation/interfacial microenvironment. The structural optimizations driven by modulators are ultimately linked to advancements in electrochemical energy storage, catalysis, adsorption, and biomedical theranostics. Finally, we discuss future perspectives on rational design, sustainable scale-up, and intelligent material programming. By integrating synthetic chemistry, mechanistic insights, and application-oriented analysis, this review establishes a platform to catalyze the rational design of high-performance PBAs families, with local microenvironment engineering serving as the core pillar for next-generation functional materials.

During the spinning process using ionic liquids as solvents, the metal ion impurities, especially the difficult-to-separate monovalent Na+ ions, continuously accumulate in the coagulation bath. It seriously affects the solubility performance of the ionic liquids and the quality of the regenerated cellulose fibers. This study employed Gaussian DFT/B3LYP methods to investigate the microscopic structure of the ionic liquids (IL-DP) in aqueous solution, and combined commercial nanofiltration (NF) membranes, to separate IL-DP and monovalent Na+. The effects of key operating parameters such as pH, pressure, temperature, ion concentration and coexisting impurities on the separation performance were systematically studied. The results showed that at low concentrations, ions were surrounded by water molecules in ionic form, and the energy of the system was lower. Increasing the operating pressure of nanofiltration, lowering the solution temperature and salinity, and controlling the pH value within the acidic range all contributed to the separation of sodium ions, with a separation factor reaching above 5. The experiments determined that the NF membranes were highly efficient for separating the metal Na+ ions from IL-DP aqueous solution produced during the cellulose spinning process.

Solid-liquid equilibrium (SLE) data for the NaBr-H2O, NaBF4-H2O, and NaBr-NaBF4-H2O systems are important for developing crystallization-based recovery of NaBr from the NaBr-rich aqueous streams generated during the synthesis of [Bmim]BF4. In this work, the SLE data for the NaBr-H2O system were measured over 273.15–348.15 K, and those for the NaBF4-H2O and NaBr-NaBF4-H2O systems were determined over 273.15–303.15 K because of the hydrolysis tendency of BF4- at higher temperatures. In the investigated ternary temperature range, the stable solid phases were identified as NaBr⋅2 H2O and NaBF4. The measured binary data, together with literature data, were used to determine the equilibrium constants for NaBr, NaBr⋅2 H2O, and NaBF4 within the framework of the electrolyte nonrandom two-liquid (ENRTL) model. Newly measured SLE data for the binary systems of NaBr-H2O and NaBF4-H2O, together with the values reported in the literature, were used to obtain the new parameters of and in ENRTL. A graphical visualization of phase behavior (i.e., phase diagrams) was finally provided for the NaBr-NaBF4-H2O system, offering information for process identification, simulation, and optimization to recover NaBr.

This study utilizes electrospinning to develop bio-based fibrous films composed of zein and polylactic acid (PLA), with chitosan added in varying concentrations. The resulting films exhibit remarkable filtration efficiency, capturing over 95% of airborne pollutants, while maintaining a low pressure drop of less than 4 mbar. A key innovation in this work is the integration of chitosan. Chitosan, a naturally derived polysaccharide, significantly increases the conductivity and viscosity of the spinning solution, enhancing interactions among PLA, chitosan, and protein molecules. This leads to a robust network structure with improved hydrophobicity and a bimodal structure, both essential for maintaining high filtration efficiency without reducing breathability. The addition of chitosan effectively addresses the common issue of high pressure drop in PLA/zein composite films, improving the product's efficiency and practicality for air filtration applications. Furthermore, the inherent mechanical strength and ductility of chitosan contribute to the fibrous films' overall durability and functionality. These properties make chitosan-modified zein/PLA fibers highly suitable for air pollution control, especially in personal protective equipment. This research underscores the potential of chitosan-enhanced bio-based materials as sustainable and effective solutions for advanced air filtration technologies.

Commercial nanofiltration membranes have a promising prospect for concentrating water-soluble ionic liquids, but often suffer from a relatively low water flux, limiting their application in ionic liquid (IL) recovery processes. In this study, the NF270 membrane was first modified by a triethylamine-ethanol-water (TEA-EtOH-H2O) mixture to enhance its concentration capability of ILs aqueous solutions. A synergistic interaction of swelling and degradation was discovered, in which EtOH could provide the swelling capability of polyamide (PA) top layer and improve miscibility of TEA and H2O, while the organic alkaline TEA could weaken the stable structure of amide bonds and supplement the external swelling of the PA layer. Thus, a transformation of the PA layer from a smooth structure into a Turing-like structure and a sharp reduction in thickness from 92.6 nm to 62.1 nm were achieved. Hydrophilicity, electronegativity, as well as membrane pore size distribution were also changed. Compared to the pristine membrane (similar to 28.50 L m(-2) h(-1), 6.15 wt%), the resultant NF270 membrane could demonstrate an elevated water flux of 46.23 L m(-2) h(-1) and a concentrated degree of 8.10 wt%, while maintaining the rejection above 97.02 % for 5 wt% 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazole diethyl phosphate aqueous solution. Moreover, the universal improvements in water flux and concentration ability for ionic liquids with larger anions were also discovered, indicating the good suitability of the modified NF270 membrane.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have shown significant potential for industrial application in the cellulose regeneration process. However, the accumulation of impurities, especially phosphorus (P) from the raw materials, in the ionic liquid (IL) aqueous solutions generated during the cellulose regeneration process, seriously affects the performance of IL and the quality of the final products. In this study, a crystallization precipitation method was employed to investigate the removal of impurities from IL aqueous solutions. The results demonstrated that the presence of IL accelerated the phase transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate to hydroxyapatite, although it prolonged the time to reach equilibrium. The highest P removal efficiency was achieved at a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.67:1, with an increase in pH further enhanced the removal efficiency. The morphology and size of crystallization precipitates were significantly influenced by the reaction time, pH, IL concentration, and temperature. By optimizing the reaction conditions, a P removal efficiency of 88.82 % was achieved in IL aqueous solutions generated during the established hundred-ton-scale cellulose regeneration demonstration production line, with the process also exhibited synergistic removal capabilities for NO3-, SO42-, and Mg2+. These findings suggested that this method effectively removed the P and other inorganic impurities from the IL aqueous solutions generated during the cellulose regeneration process.

The global demand for lithium resources is rapidly increasing, primarily driven by the growing use of lithium-based batteries in electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems. Salt lakes represent a cornerstone of the global lithium supply, but efficient separation of Mg2+ and Li+ remains a significant challenge in lithium extraction. This review examines the key techniques for lithium extraction from salt lakes, focusing on their respective advantages and limitations. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes, known for their selective separation properties, show considerable potential for the efficient separation of Mg2+ and Li+. The paper discusses the fundamental separation mechanisms and mass transfer models associated with NF membranes, emphasizing recent developments in Mg2+/Li+ separation through four main approaches: enhancing the Donnan effect, optimizing membrane pore size, integrating dual-mechanism synergistic designs, and optimizing membrane support layers. Additionally, the review proposes three future research directions specifically aimed at advancing NF membrane design for Mg2+/Li+ separation. This review offers a timely and relevant analysis of the strategies used to enhance NF membrane performance in this important application.

With the widespread application of ionic liquids (ILs), their non-biodegradability and toxicity have increasingly impacted the environment. This study focused on the electrocatalytic oxidation of imidazolium-based ILs in the aqueous solutions using boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, and the mechanisms were also fully elucidated. The effect of main parameters, i.e. current density, pH value, supporting electrolyte concentration and initial IL concentration, on the degradation efficiency of ILs was systematically investigated. The results indicated that the highest degradation efficiency occurred at pH 3.0, while variations in the supporting electrolyte concentration had a minimal impact on the electrocatalytic oxidation process. Additionally, the presence of phosphates and glucose was found to inhibit the degradation of ILs. The extension of the alkyl chain in IL cation was detrimental to the IL degradation efficiency. Finally, the intermediate products identified by GC-MS suggested the possible degradation pathways and mechanisms for the IL of interest in this work. This work provides some insights into developing the effective strategies to mitigate the environmental impact of ILs.

Faced with the fact that air filtration materials prepared from traditional petroleum-based materials do not have good biodegradability and have the risk of causing secondary pollution to the environment, a kind of nanofiber membrane with biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and zein was prepared by electrospinning method. The morphology of as-prepared membrane was carried out along with filtration performance and degradation performance both experimentally and theoretically. The results showed that the hydrophobicity of nanofiber membrane can be adjusted by changing the ratio of PLA and zein. In addition, the highest filtration efficiency for PM2.5 and PM10 was achieved when the ratio of PLA to zein was 1:1, and it could be stabilized at 98.14 % and 97.39 %, and had the highest quality factor (QF) of 0.00738 Pa- 1. Moreover, the fiber membrane has excellent adsorption effect on aqueous particles as well as oily particles. Notably, the as-prepared composite filter can be easily biodegraded thus contributing to green ecological environment.

After the NaClO solution was used to purify acetylene gas, the solution contained significant amounts of NaCl, Na2SO4, and Na2HPO4. The phase equilibrium data is the most important basic information for recovering sodium salts. In this study, the solubilities and dry-salt phase diagram for the system (Na+//Cl--SO42--HPO42--H2O) were systemically studied. The dry-salt phase diagram contained one invariable point, three univariate solubility curves, and three single salt crystallization regions corresponding to NaCl, Na2SO4, and Na2HPO412H(2)O at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa. Based on the ELEC-NRTL and Pitzer model embedded in the Aspen Plus, the phase equilibrium data for the ternary subsystem (Na+//Cl--SO42--H2O, Na+//Cl--HPO42--H2O, and Na+//SO42--HPO42--H2O) at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa taken from the literature were first predicted to verify the applicability of parameters from the default database and literature. Subsequently, the models were optimized by literature solubility data, and then, the obtained parameters can well predict the phase equilibrium data for the ternary subsystem at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa. All of these will provide basis data for the separation of sodium salt from the Na+//Cl--SO42--HPO42--H2O system.

MOFs-modified nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been gained a lot of attention due to their favorable permeability and ion separation performance. Nevertheless, the prevailing preparation techniques are afflicted by the incompatibility of MOFs with polymers and the facile loss of MOFs. In this work, polyethyleneimine (PEI)-templated ZIF-8 (PEI-ZIF-8) was synthesized and incorporated into the PEI aqueous solution, then interfacial polymerized with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) to obtain the PEI-ZIF-8 modified polyamide NF membrane. This PEI modified strategy could endow the ZIF-8 nanoparticles with positively charged properties to avoid the aggregation and increase the interfacial compatibility with the polyamide. Meanwhile, the appropriate pore size of ZIF-8 (3.4 Å), which is between the hydration sheath surrounding of Li+ (2 Å) and Mg2+ (4.2 Å) impart the membrane with precise Mg2+/Li+ separation ability. The optimal PEI-ZIF-8-TMC membrane exhibits a permeance of 9 L/h m2bar and a Mg2+/Li+ separation factor (SF) of 19, both of which surpass the performance of the pure PEI-TMC membrane, which has a permeance of 4 L/h m2bar and a Mg2+/Li+ separation factor of 11. Meanwhile, the membrane exhibited excellent long-term stability of 85 h. This novel approach to preparing MOFs-modified NF membrane represents a promising avenue for the separation of lithium and magnesium.

The homogeneous [Bmim]BF4-NaBr-H2O system will be obtained in the industrial synthesis of [Bmim]BF4, and the extraction of [Bmim]BF4 from such a system remains to be challenging. In this work, dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), is used as the organic phase to extract and separate [Bmim]BF4 (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) from the reaction solution. Dichloromethane, serving as the extracting agent, effectively facilitates the purification and component separation of the ionic liquid [Bmim]BF4 postreaction, enhancing the reaction efficiency and product purity. The influence of operating parameters, including initial concentration of the ionic liquid (IL), temperature, O/A ratio (the volume ratio of organic phase to aqueous phase), and initial concentration of NaBr, on IL separation and extraction were investigated. It was found that the recovery ratio of IL and the separation factor could reach 90.3% and 133.19 at optimized extraction conditions. Moreover, this method was appropriate for the extraction of [Bmim]BF4 at different concentrations. As a result, this work developed an optimized extraction scheme to maximize the yield of [Bmim]BF4 using an organic and aqueous two-phase system of NaBr-H2O and CH2Cl2, which could provide essential technological parameters for the efficient extraction of [Bmim]BF4 in the NaBr-H2O-CH2Cl2 two-phase system.

In recent years, advanced oxidation technologies (AOPs) that utilize the oxidative power of free radicals generated by chemical or physical pathways to degrade harmful organic compounds in aquatic media have attracted the attention of researchers. Recent advances in electro-catalytic oxidation (ECO) in APOs have made it possible to almost completely degrade the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of organic matter in coking wastewater. In this paper, comparative analysis with Titanium/Tantalum Pentoxide (Ti/Ta2O5) and boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes indicated that the iridium oxide-coated titanium material (Ti/RuO2-IrO2) electrode had superior performance. Utilizing a Box-Behnken Design (BBD), interactive effects of current density, pH, and sulfate ion concentration (SO42-) were comprehensively analyzed, pinpointing the optimal reaction conditions: a current density of 0.56 A/cm(2), a pH of 8, and a SO42- concentration of 14 mmol/L, resulting in a COD degradation efficiency of 97.7 %. The influence of the factors on the COD removal rate decreases in the following order: current density > pH > SO42- concentration. In summary, this study proposed a practical strategy for leveraging ECO for COD degradation in coking wastewater which can be generated in the coal chemical industry.

Nanofiltration (NF) has been proven to be with great potential for the separation of morpholines with molecular weight less than 200 Da in refining reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC), but its application is significantly restricted by the membrane fouling, which can reduce the rejection and service time. To enable the long-term operation stability of nanofiltration, this work focuses on the fouling behavior of each substance in the hydrosaline organic solution on nanofiltration membrane, aiming to give insight into the fouling mechanism. To this end, in this work, the effects of salts (i.e NaCl and Na2SO4), organic substances (including N-(2-hydroxypropyl) morpholine(NMH) and 4-morpholineacetate(MHA)) and representative divalent ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+) on the performance and physicochemical properties of DK membrane were systematically investigated. The results show that both salts and organics can induce DK membrane swelling, leading to an increase of the mean effective pore size. After the filtration of Na2SO4-NaCl-H2O, the mean pore size increased by 0.002 nm, resulting in the decrease of the removal ratio of NMH and MHA for 3.82% and 13.10%, respectively. With static adsorption of NMH and MHA, the mean pore size of DK membrane increased by 0.005 and 0.003 nm. The swelling slowed the entrance of more organic molecules into membrane pores. Among them, MHA led to the terrible irreversible pore blocking. As the concentration of Ca2+ increased, gypsum scaling was formed on the membrane surface. During this process, NMH and MHA played different roles, i.e. NMH accelerated the CaSO4 crystallization while MHA inhibited. As a conclusion, the fouling behavior of substances in the high saline organic wastewater on DK membrane were systematically revealed with the fouling mechanisms proposed, which could provide an insightful guidance for membrane fouling control and cleaning in the treatment of high salinity and organic wastewater.

The efficient and cost-effective elimination of saccharides and metal ions solving in the ionic liquid spinning solution produced in the regenerated cellulose fibers (RCFs) manufacture is highly desirable in view of the RCF quality and IL recycling. Herein, the 'two birds and one stone' strategy was proposed for simultaneous removal of saccharides and metal ions solving in [Emim]Dep spinning solution by selective electrodialysis (SED). Benefiting from the electric neutrality of saccharides, the differences of IL and metal ions (Mg2+ and Ca2+) in electrostatic interaction and hydration radius, the permeation ratio of IL (PIL), removal ratios of saccharides (Rs), Mg2+ (RMg 2+) and Ca2+ (RCa2+) could reach up to 96.0 %, 94.8 %, 95.0 % and 95.0 %, respectively in the practical ionic liquid spinning solution. The structure of [Emim]Dep after SED process was similar to that of pristine, indicating the stability during the SED process. Interestingly, the presence of saccharides was beneficial to the removal of metal ions because of the complexation. Moreover, the membrane fouling process and mechanism were also investigated by the determination of ion exchange capacity and the characterization of morphology and structure. Along this line, the corresponding cleaning strategy was raised and the performance of the membrane did not change notably within 5-times recycle. Thus, this work put forward a facile and cost-effective method for onestep removal of saccharides and metal ions and the purification of ionic liquids, which could be popularized in the fields of biomass pretreatment and dissolution using ILs.