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Traditional phenolic separation processes produce a large amount of wastewater and high neutral oil entrainment. This work used the COSMO model to predict the separation performance of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for m-cresol (MCR) and identified a potential extractant EmimCl : MCR (1 : 0.4) DES and its liquid phase operating window. Partial MCR in direct coal liquefaction oil and EmimCl form a DES extractant and can be recycled. The density, viscosity and thermal stability of the extractant were determined experimentally, and the effect of experimental conditions on its separation performance was explored. The structure–activity relationship was explored through visualization of quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics simulation. The in situ DES extraction method and multi-stage flash evaporation combined with the distillation process could effectively remove neutral oil and reduce energy consumption as well as obtain 99.9% MCR product. The total annual cost of the new process was 38.8% lower than that of the traditional extractive distillation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of the dye industry and the worsening water resource crisis have drawn significant focus to the treatment of dye wastewater. Membrane separation technology is increasingly being utilized in addressing this issue. However, traditional separation membranes face challenges such as susceptibility to contamination and significant decline in subsequent separation permeance. This work utilizes a straightforward brushing technique to effectively apply a coating comprising titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and attapulgite (APT) onto a stainless steel mesh (SSM), equipping it with the capability for dye adsorption and separation. Studies show that coatings with different ratios yield varying degrees of coverage on the SSM. A higher concentration of TiO2/attapulgite results in improved coverage on the SSM, creating a denser coating on the mesh surface and the degree of cross-linking of the coating was as high as 92.22%. The coated meshes exhibited superhydrophilicity uniformly and excellent negatively charged properties. Separation experiments of the meshes with different TiO2/attapulgite ratios were conducted by separating simulated dye wastewater with methylene blue (MB) and safranine T (SaT). The results indicate that the prepared meshes achieved a maximum rejection of over 98.0% for MB and over 96.5% for SaT. In addition, the prepared meshes maintained high dye rejection efficiencies (>96%) even after 10 consecutive separation cycles. The above results indicate that the prepared meshes are promising for application in industrial dye wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly serious situation of oil leakage makes it crucial to design a separation material that is convenient, green and durable to address the problem of separating oil–water mixtures. In this work, immersion coating and heating techniques are used to modify a layer of cellulose hydrogel on the hydrophobic copper foam surface for oil/water separation. Excellent superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic qualities were displayed by the modified copper foam. Different oil–water mixtures can be separated using the modified copper foam. The separation efficiency can reach 99.999% after 100 cycles, and the maximum flux reached 145 587 L m−2 h−1. Moreover, after soaking in 1 M HCl, NaCl, and NaOH solutions for 1 day or undergoing 30 abrasion tests, the separation efficiency remained above 99.993%. In general, the cellulose-modified copper foam offers excellent durability, sustainability, and environmental protection. It also has significant potential for oily wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydroxy-based polar organic cages (DIHO-cages) are reported to selectively separate toluene with 99.5% purity from an equimolar toluene/pyridine mixture, resulting in subsequent superior purification of pyridine. The efficient separation and purification, enhanced by strong and multiple host/guest C–H⋯O interactions between the cage and toluene, showcases DIHO-cages as a suitable candidate for the remarkable separation of such azeotropes on an industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of C2H2/CO2 mixtures is a very important but highly challenging task due to their comparable physical natures and relative sizes. Herein, we report a europium-based 3D microporous MOF with a 4-connected two-nodal net with {4·53·62}2{42·62·82} topology, {[Eu2(pzdc)(ox)2(H2O)4]·5H2O}n (1) (H2pzdc = 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid, H2ox = oxalic acid), prepared by a hydrothermal method involving in situ generation of 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylate and oxalate ligands. Two different temperatures were utilized to create two porous materials (1a and 1b) with channels of 4.8 × 5.4 Å and 4.1 × 6.3 Å, and 4.8 × 5.4 and 4.6 × 8.7 Å2, respectively. 1b shows a superior ability to selectively capture C2H2 from C2H2/CO2 as compared with 1a. At 1 bar and 298 K, 1b takes up 4.10 mmol g−1 C2H2 and 1.84 mmol g−1 CO2, respectively. In addition, at 298 K and 1 bar, 1b has a high selectivity for C2H2 over CO2, with an IAST selectivity of 12.7 while the value for 1a is 3.2. The separation of C2H2/CO2 with 1b also exhibits good reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of C2H2/CO2 mixtures is a very important but highly challenging task due to their comparable physical natures and relative sizes. Herein, we report a europium-based 3D microporous MOF with a 4-connected two-nodal net with {4·53·62}2{42·62·82} topology, {[Eu2(pzdc)(ox)2(H2O)4]·5H2O}n (1) (H2pzdc = 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid, H2ox = oxalic acid), prepared by a hydrothermal method involving in situ generation of 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylate and oxalate ligands. Two different temperatures were utilized to create two porous materials (1a and 1b) with channels of 4.8 × 5.4 Å and 4.1 × 6.3 Å, and 4.8 × 5.4 and 4.6 × 8.7 Å2, respectively. 1b shows a superior ability to selectively capture C2H2 from C2H2/CO2 as compared with 1a. At 1 bar and 298 K, 1b takes up 4.10 mmol g−1 C2H2 and 1.84 mmol g−1 CO2, respectively. In addition, at 298 K and 1 bar, 1b has a high selectivity for C2H2 over CO2, with an IAST selectivity of 12.7 while the value for 1a is 3.2. The separation of C2H2/CO2 with 1b also exhibits good reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation of the mixture of ethylene (C2H4) and ethane (C2H6) to produce polymer-grade C2H4 is of prime importance in the petrochemical industry. In this context, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) featuring tunable pore metrics and surface chemistry, especially those with inverse C2H6/C2H4 adsorption selectivity, hold great promise in energy-effective purification of C2H4 by adsorptive separation, but often encounter the well-known trade-off between adsorption selectivity and capacity. In this work, we report two new MOFs by deploying the pore-space-partition (PSP) strategy for the purpose of reducing the pore aperture size while retaining the gas-accessible pore volume. As a result, Ni-bodc-tpt (bodc = bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid, tpt = 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine) by combining optimal pore size, large cage pore volume, and rich C–H binding sites exhibits concurrently high C2H6 adsorption capacity (131.65 cm3 g−1) and C2H6/C2H4 selectivity (1.8) at 298 K and 1 bar, which is superior or comparable to many benchmark C2H6-selective MOFs. A dynamic breakthrough experiment demonstrates that high-purity C2H4 (>99.9%) can be harvested in one step from a binary mixture of C2H6/C2H4 (50/50, v/v), attesting to the feasibility of this new MOF as a prospective C2H4 purification agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of acetylene from carbon dioxide is challenging due to their almost identical molecular sizes and volatilities. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in general are strong candidates for the separation of gas mixtures owing to the presence of functional pore surfaces that can selectively capture specific target molecules. Herein, we report a stable and easily synthesized bismuth-based MOF, Bi–BTC, which can achieve the separation of acetylene and carbon dioxide. We performed a detailed analysis of the sorption properties of the Bi–MOF. Bi–BTC shows good adsorption capacities for C2H2 with a capacity of 53.8 cm3 g−1 at 298 K and 1.0 bar, and C2H2/CO2 selectivity of 5.14/7.69 at 298 K and 1.0/0.1 bar. IAST selectivity calculations indicate that Bi–BTC possesses good separation capacity, and dynamic breakthrough experiments were performed to prove the separation of C2H2 and CO2. Bi–MOFs as a group of relatively less studied types of MOFs have interesting adsorption characteristics, and this study on Bi-based MOF will enrich three-dimensional Bi–MOF adsorbents for gas adsorption and separation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in the advancement of microscale electrokinetic (EK) systems for biomedical and clinical applications, as these systems offer attractive characteristics such as portability, robustness, low sample requirements and short response time. The present work is focused on manipulating the characteristics of the insulating post arrangement in insulator-based EK (iEK) systems for separating a binary mixture of spherical microparticles with same diameter (5.1 μm), same shape, made from the same substrate material and only differing in their zeta potential by ∼14 mV. This study presents a combination of mathematical modeling and experimental separations performed by applying a low-frequency alternating current (AC) voltage in iEK systems with 12 distinct post arrangements. These iEK devices were used to systematically study the effect of three spatial characteristics of the insulating post array on particle separations: the horizontal separation and the vertical separation between posts, and introducing an offset to the posts arrangement. Through normalization of the spatial separation between the insulating posts with respect to particle diameter, guidelines to improve separation resolution for different particle mixtures possessing similar characteristics were successfully identified. The results indicated that by carefully designing the spatial arrangement of the post array, separation resolution values in the range of 1.4–2.8 can be obtained, illustrating the importance and effect of the arrangement of insulating posts on improving particle separations. This study demonstrates that iEK devices, with effectively designed spatial arrangement of the insulating post arrays, have the capabilities to perform discriminatory separations of microparticles of similar characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuning of vacancies in photocatalytic materials has emerged as a versatile strategy to enhance visible light absorption and photocatalytic activity. In this study, surface oxygen vacancies (defects) were incorporated on antimony tungstate to boost its photocatalytic activity, which was examined by studying the degradation of model pollutants under visible light irradiation. Specifically, a two-to-three-fold increase in photocatalytic activity was observed for oxygen vacancy-rich antimony tungstate in comparison to its pristine counterpart. This improvement in the photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the presence of oxygen vacancies in the material, which leads to an enhanced absorption of light, decrease in the recombination of charge carriers, and increase in the number of active sites. In addition, owing to the nature of the surface charge present, the photocatalysts were found to be selective for the degradation of cationic pollutants in comparison to anionic and neutral pollutants, and can thus be used for the separation of a mixture of pollutants. Furthermore, scavenger studies illustrate that holes play a major role in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. Moreover, the excellent photostability of oxygen vacancy-rich antimony tungstate over three consecutive cycles demonstrates its potential as a good photocatalyst for the degradation of pollutants. Overall, this study demonstrates that the engineering of surface vacancies on perovskite oxide materials can render them as efficient single component photocatalysts for environmental remediation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of two-dimensional nanomaterials, a revolutionary class of materials, is marked by their atomic-scale thickness, superior aspect ratios, robust mechanical attributes, and exceptional chemical stability. These materials, producible on a large scale, are emerging as the forefront candidates in the domain of membrane-based gas separation. The concept of defect engineering in 2D nanomaterials has introduced a novel approach in their application for membrane separation, offering an effective technique to augment the performance of these membranes. Nonetheless, the development of customized microstructures in gas separation membranes via defect engineering remains nascent. Hence, this review is designed to serve as a comprehensive guide for the application of defect engineering in 2D nanomaterial-based membranes. It delves into the most recent developments in this field, encompassing the synthesis methodologies of defective 2D nanomaterials and the mechanisms underlying gas transport. Special emphasis is placed on the utilization of defect-engineered 2D nanomaterial-based membranes in gas capture applications. Furthermore, the paper encapsulates the burgeoning challenges and prospective advancements in this area. In essence, defect engineering emerges as a promising avenue for enhancing the efficacy of 2D nanomaterial-based membranes in gas separation, offering significant potential for advancements in membrane-based gas separation technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal–organic framework has great research value and application in oil–water separation, owing to its highly adjustable pore structure resulting from the combination of metal ions and organic ligands. In this work, the HKUST-1 membrane was prepared by an in situ growth method with purple copper mesh as the substrate, which showed superhydrophobic characteristics after stearic acid treatment. The surface morphology, chemical structure, and wetting behavior of SA-HKUST-1-CM were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, XPS and contact angle tests. The results showed that the SA-HKUST-1-CM with rough micro–nano structures and low surface energy chemicals possessed superoleophilicity and superhydrophobicity (OCA = 0° and WCA = 154.6°). The membrane exhibited high separation efficiency (99%) and separation flux (2.36–6.85 × 104 L m−2 h−1) for the five tested oils under gravity drive. It had outstanding chemical and mechanical stability under harsh environmental conditions. In addition, due to its excellent reusability, the separation efficiency remained over 97.5% after 20 repetitions of the separation experiment. The wettability mechanism of the SA-HKUST-1-CM was explained via the chemical bonding theory and capillary force-based separation model. The mechanism of oil–water separation was additionally clarified in relation to the liquid bridge system. This super wetting MOF membrane with a simple preparation method, low cost and excellent performance has great application value and potential for oil–water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A semi-packed gas chromatographic column has the advantages of high specific surface area and low column pressure. We report that the stagnation regions formed in the adjacent posts along the channel of the semi-packed columns can decrease the area and height of chromatographic peaks, which makes it difficult to detect low-concentration mixed gases. A semi-packed column with staggered elliptic cylindrical post arrays (SC-S) made using a micro-electro-mechanical system technique is presented, and the separation performance of SC-S is compared with that of a semi-packed column with aligned elliptic cylindrical post arrays (SC-A). The simulation results show that the width of stagnation regions in SC-S is 86.89% smaller than that in SC-A. The experimental results indicate that the area and height of chromatographic peaks increased as stagnation regions reduced. In the separation of the alkane mixture from C8 through C10 with 10 ppm concentration, the chromatographic peak of decane was hardly identified in SC-A while the chromatographic peak in SC-S was still clearly visible. The chromatographic peak heights of octane and nonane were increased by 65.06% and 130.00%, respectively, in SC-S. The peak areas of octane and nonane were increased by 120.45% and 168.18%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane technology is considered to be an effective method for the treatment of oily wastewater. However, membrane fouling caused by oil adsorption seriously hinders its practical application in oil–water separation. In this study, membrane separation technology was combined with surface modification technology. A commercial hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane was used as the base membrane material. Polydopamine (PDA) with adhesion was introduced into the PVDF membrane, and DETA was modified on the PVDF membrane by a Schiff base reaction between PDA and diethylenetriamine (DETA). On this basis, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with high hydrophilicity and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with a rough porous structure were introduced, and a PVDF–PDA–DETA@PVP@HNT membrane with superhydrophilicity–underwater superoleophobicity was successfully prepared. Then, the effects of different amounts of HNTs on the surface morphology and chemical composition of the films were studied by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. When the addition amount of HNTs was 0.05 g, the membrane showed high separation efficiency (more than 99%) and separation flux (2268–2406 L m−2 h−1) for various oil-in-water emulsions. After 8 cycles, the emulsion separation efficiency was higher than 93%. After soaking in different pH solutions for 12 h, the water contact angle (WCA) was 0° and the underwater oil contact angle (UOCA) was greater than 150°, showing excellent chemical stability. This strategy has the advantages of convenient preparation, economy and high efficiency, and has broad application potential in industrial oily wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extraction of native-like lignin from lignocellulose is crucial for maximizing the value of all three major components of biomass. In this study, molecular dynamics was employed to reveal the essence of lignin condensation during the pretreatment of biomass with a promising acidic hydrotropic solution (AHS) at the molecular level. Diols were discovered to effectively suppress the excessive acidity of p-toluenesulfonic acid (pTsOH) in AHS while maintaining its solubilizing effect below a minimal hydrotropic concentration (MHC). The experimental results confirmed that the combined use of 1,4-butanediol and pTsOH can extract native-like lignin under mild conditions. The retention of lignin's β-O-4 linkages can exceed 90%, and the lignin extraction rate was over 80%. The obtained lignin can enhance the efficacy of chemical sunscreens, doubling the sun protection factor (SPF). Simultaneously, the residual cellulose was readily hydrolyzed into glucose by cellulase. This strategy demonstrates excellent adaptability to various biomass sources, including herbaceous species, hardwoods, and highly recalcitrant softwoods. The work lays the theoretical foundation for the precise control of biomass component separation using AHS, contributing to the development of mild and efficient component separation technologies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has become a growing concern over decades, prompting numerous research endeavours to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, the major greenhouse gas (GHG). However, the contribution of other non-CO2 GHGs including methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), fluorocarbons, perfluorinated gases, etc. should not be overlooked, due to their high global warming potential and environmental hazards. In order to reduce the emission of non-CO2 GHGs, advanced separation technologies with high efficiency and low energy consumption such as adsorptive separation or membrane separation are highly desirable. Advanced porous materials (APMs) including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), porous organic polymers (POPs), etc. have been developed to boost the adsorptive and membrane separation, due to their tunable pore structure and surface functionality. This review summarizes the progress of APM adsorbents and membranes for non-CO2 GHG separation. The material design and fabrication strategies, along with the molecular-level separation mechanisms are discussed. Besides, the state-of-the-art separation performance and challenges of various APM materials towards each type of non-CO2 GHG are analyzed, offering insightful guidance for future research. Moreover, practical industrial challenges and opportunities from the aspect of engineering are also discussed, to facilitate the industrial implementation of APMs for non-CO2 GHG separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane separation technology, as an important means of treating oily wastewater, is considered to be one of the most promising oil/water separation technologies. However, problems such as membrane contamination and single separation performance have also hindered its wider application. In this study, polydopamine (PDA)-Ag nanospheres were prepared by oxidant-induced dopamine polymerization and in situ reduction with silver ions, and assembled onto silanized poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) filtration membranes by a vacuum-assisted operation. The separation efficiency of the PDA–Ag@PVDF filter membrane for the dichloroethane oil-in-water emulsion was 98.8%, and the removal rate of malachite green dye in the emulsion was as high as 98%. After multiple separation/UV irradiation cycles, the flux recovery rate was greater than 98.7%. The PDA–Ag@PVDF filter membrane is a multifunctional and self-cleaning separation membrane, whose excellent properties make it promising in the field of oil/water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy-saving separation of CO2/N2 and CH4/N2 in the energy industry facilitates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and replenishes energy resources, but is a challenging separation process. The trade-off between adsorption capacity and selectivity of the adsorbents is one of the key bottlenecks in adsorption separation technologies' large-scale application in the above separation task. Herein, we introduced a series of fluoroborate or fluorosilicate salts (Cu(BF4)2, Zn(BF4)2 and ZnSiF6) into the open coordination nitrogen sites of aluminum-based metal–organic frameworks (MOF-253) to create multiple binding sites to simultaneously enhance the adsorption capacity and selectivity for the target gas. By the synergistic adsorption effect of metal ions (Cu2+ or Zn2+) and fluorinated anions (BF4− or (SiF6)2−), the single-component adsorption capacity and selectivity of salt-modified MOF-253 (MOF-253@Cu(BF4)2, MOF-253@Zn(BF4)2 and MOF-253@ZnSiF6) for CO2 and CH4 were effectively improved when compared to pristine MOF-253 at 298 K and 1 bar. In addition, the salt-modified MOF-253 has a moderate adsorption heat (<30 kJ mol−1) which could be rapidly regenerated at low energy by evacuation desorption. As confirmed by the ambient breakthrough experiments of MOF-253 and MOF-253@ZnSiF6, the real separation performance for both CO2/N2 (1/4) and CH4/N2 (1/4) was obviously improved. This work provides a feasible post-modification strategy on uncoordinated sites of the framework to improve adsorption separation performance and promote the development of ideal adsorbents with a view to realizing their application in the energy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the selectivity behaviour of two tricyclic fused host systems with seven-membered B-rings, namely N,N′-bis(5-phenyl-5-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptenyl)ethylenediamine (H1) and N,N′-bis(5-phenyl-10,11-dihydro-5-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptenyl)ethylenediamine (H2), was investigated in various mixtures of pyridine (PYR) and the three C-methylated pyridine isomers (2-, 3-, and 4-MP). It was first demonstrated that H1 possessed the ability to enclathrate all four pyridines in the single guest solvent experiments while H2 was only able to form complexes with PYR and 4MP. H2 showed significantly enhanced selectivities compared with H1, consistently preferring PYR, while 2MP was the favoured guest of H1. Selectivity profiles suggested that H1 has the ability to separate mixtures of 2MP/PYR when these contain 40% 2MP (K = 11.8). H2, on the other hand, was shown to have exceptional separatory potential for PYR/2MP and PYR/3MP mixtures even when the amount of PYR in these was as low as 20%. These host compounds, therefore, are able to separate some of these pyridyl mixtures with high efficiency. SCXRD analyses on five of the six complexes prepared here demonstrated that the reason for the preferential behaviours of H1 and H2 for 2MP and PYR, respectively, was the significantly shorter hydrogen bonding interactions present between the host and guest molecules in these complexes. Thermal analyses further showed that these two complexes were more thermally stable than those with the less preferred guest compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic cages are three-dimensional polycyclic compounds of great interest in the scientific community due to their unique features, which generally include simple synthesis based on the dynamic covalent chemistry strategies, structural tunability and high selectivity. In this feature article, we present the advances over the last ten years in the application of organic cages as chemosensors or components in chemosensing devices for the determination of analytes (pollutants, analytes of biological interest) in complex aqueous media including wine, fruit juice, urine. Details on the recent applications of organic cages as selective (back-)extractants or masking agents for potential applications in relevant separation processes, such as the plutonium and uranium recovery by extraction, are also provided. Over the last ten years, organic cages with permanent porosity in the liquid and solid states have been highly appreciated as porous materials able to discriminate molecules of different sizes. These features, combined with good solvent processability and film-forming tendency, have proved useful in the fabrication of membranes for gas separation, solvent nanofiltration and water remediation processes. An overview of the recent applications of organic cages in membrane separation technologies is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMeF) and 2,5-methyltetrahydrofuran (DMeTHF) mixtures plays a crucial role in the chemical industry. However, it remains a great challenge to separate them from a mixture due to their close boiling points and the formation of an azeotrope using traditional separating methods. Herein, we succeeded in separating DMeF from its 50 : 50 v/v DMeF/DMeTHF mixture using nonporous adaptive crystals (NACs) of a hybrid[3]arene (HB3). We found that HB3 crystals revealed a 98.6% selectivity to DMeF after adsorption in a 50 : 50 v/v DMeF/DMeTHF mixture. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) revealed that the specific selectivity is derived from forming an intermolecular packed host–guest complex between HB3 and DMeF. The cycling experiment demonstrated that the HB3 crystals could be reused over ten cycles without losing their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocarbon separation is an important process in the field of petrochemical industry, which provides a variety of raw materials for industrial production and a strong support for the development of national economy. However, traditional separation processes involve huge energy consumption. Adsorptive separation based on nonporous adaptive crystal (NAC) materials is considered as an attractive green alternative to traditional energy-intensive separation technologies due to its advantages of low energy consumption, high chemical and thermal stability, excellent selective adsorption and separation performance, and outstanding recyclability. Considering the exceptional potential of NAC materials for hydrocarbon separation, this review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in various supramolecular host-based NACs. Moreover, the current challenges and future directions are illustrated in detail. It is expected that this review will provide useful and timely references for researchers in this area. Based on a large number of state-of-the-art studies, the review will definitely advance the development of NAC materials for hydrocarbon separation and stimulate more interesting studies in related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane separation technology has become one of the most promising methods in the field of chiral drug separation based on its advantages of high energy efficiency, continuous operation and economic efficiency. Mixed matrix membranes (GO/EDA-β-CD MMMs) were successfully fabricated via the precipitation phase transformation method, incorporating cellulose acetate as the membrane polymer, graphene oxide (GO) as the modifier and mono(6-ethylenediamine-6-deoxy)-β-cyclodextrin (EDA-β-CD) as the chiral selector. The results showed that the addition of GO was beneficial to accelerate the speed of water transmission and contributed to enhancing the permeability and selectivity simultaneously. The enantioseparation performances of the GO/EDA-β-CD MMMs were detected in the separation process of chiral drugs. The results showed that the ee% value of the GO/EDA-β-CD MMMs for D- , and L -tryptophan was 58%, which was 3% higher than that of EDA-β-CD mixed matrix membranes (EDA-β-CD MMMs). The ee% value of (RS)-propranolol was 17%, which was about 4 times that of EDA-β-CD MMMs. The resolution ee% of (RS)-warfarin was 8%, which was about 2 times that of EDA-β-CD MMMs. Furthermore, using the ultrasonic cleaning method to regenerate the membrane, the regeneration efficiency reached about 50%. Finally, the chiral resolution mechanism of the membranes was studied by molecular simulations. Compared with EDA-β-CD MMMs, the GO/EDA-β-CD MMMs possessed better resolution performance and greater stability. Therefore, the GO/EDA-β-CD MMMs possess possibilities of high enantioselectivity for chiral drug separation in industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient separation of CO2 from CH4 and N2 is essential for the upgrading of biogas and reducing carbon emissions in flue gas, but is challenging in the energy industry. Developing ultra-stable adsorbents with high CO2 adsorption performance in adsorption separation technology is deemed an effective solution for the separation of CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2. Herein, we report an ultra-stable yttrium-based microporous metal–organic framework (Y-bptc) used for the efficient separation of CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2. The single-component equilibrium adsorption capacity of CO2 reached 55.1 cm3 g−1 at 1 bar and 298 K, while the adsorption capacity of CH4 and N2 was almost negligible and thus resulted in a high adsorption ratio for CO2/CH4 (45.5) and CO2/N2 (18.1). GCMC simulations revealed that the μ3-OH− functional groups distributed in the pore cage of Y-bptc provide stronger adsorption sites for CO2via hydrogen-bonding interactions. The relatively lower heat of adsorption of CO2 (24 kJ mol−1) further reduces the desorption regeneration energy consumption. Dynamic breakthrough experiments using Y-bptc for the separation of CO2/CH4 (1/1) and CO2/N2 (1/4) mixtures could obtain high purity (>99%) CH4 and N2, and the CO2 dynamic adsorption capacities reached 52 and 31 cm3 g−1, respectively. More importantly, the structure of Y-bptc remained intact under hydrothermal conditions. The high adsorption ratio, low heat of adsorption, great dynamic separation performance, and ultra-stable structure of Y-bptc make it one of the candidate adsorbents suitable for the separation of CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 in real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two tricyclic fused host systems, namely N,N′-bis(5-phenyl-5-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptenyl)ethylenediamine H1 and N,N′-bis(5-phenyl-10,11-dihydro-5-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptenyl)ethylenediamine H2, were recrystallized from each of anisole and 2-, 3- and 4-methylanisole (ANI, 2MA, 3MA and 4MA), and it was observed that H1 formed complexes with 2MA (host : guest 2 : 1), 3MA (1 : 1 at 4 °C) and 4MA (1 : 1), while H2 only enclathrated ANI (2 : 3). Mixed solvent competition experiments using H1 revealed this host compound to possess a remarkable affinity for 4MA; in fact, complexation was only successful if this guest compound was present in the mixture. Similar experiments but with H2 were, unfortunately, not enlightening owing to the fact that crystals did not form in these conditions. SCXRD experiments showed that the affinity of H1 for 4MA relative to 3MA was as a result of intermolecular host⋯host C–H⋯π and π⋯π interactions in H1·4MA that were significantly shorter than in H1·3MA which, in turn, led to a higher crystal density for H1·4MA (1.215 g cm−1) compared with H1·3MA (1.184 g cm−1), despite their identical chemical formulae. Thermal analyses showed that the guest molecules in H1·4MA also escaped from the crystals at a higher temperature (104.9 °C) than that in H1·3MA (70.5 °C). Unfortunately, from selectivity coefficient (K) calculations, H1 would not be able to serve as an ideal host candidate for the separations of these anisole mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization of proteomes aims to comprehensively characterize proteins in cells or tissues via two main strategies: (1) bottom-up strategy based on the separation and identification of enzymatic peptides; (2) top-down strategy based on the separation and identification of intact proteins. However, it is challenged by the high complexity of proteomes. Consequently, the improvements in peptide and protein separation technologies for simplifying the sample should be critical. In this feature article, separation columns for peptide and protein separation were introduced, and peptide separation technologies for bottom-up proteomic analysis as well as protein separation technologies for top-down proteomic analysis were summarized. The achievement, recent development, limitation and future trends are discussed. Besides, the outlook on challenges and future directions of chromatographic separation in the field of proteomics was also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a high-speed emulsifier and electric dehydrator were used to study the main factors affecting the emulsifying stability of flowback fluids from acidizing oil wells in the DaQing oilfield of China. According to the variation laws of the chemical composition of the transition layer before and after the acid cleaning and descaling treatment, the effects of various components, including inorganic salts, solid nanoparticles, polymers, and surfactants, on the stability of emulsions were investigated. The results showed that sodium chloride (NaCl) had the best ability to maintain the stability of the emulsion. The effect of ferrous sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles on the emulsifying stability of the emulsion was higher than that of silica nanoparticles and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles. The effect of the polymer on the stability of the emulsion was higher than that of the surfactant. When the mass fraction of asphaltene is higher than 0.67%, the stability of the emulsion would increase, creating a difficulty in demulsification. The mechanism of multi-factor synergistic emulsification is clarified in this study. The charges of NaCl itself were packed densely on the interface between oil and water to stabilize the number of charges on the interface, leading to the enhancement of the stability of the interfacial film. FeS nanoparticles, silica (SiO2) nanoparticles, and CaCO3 nanoparticles coalesced on the interface between oil and water to form a dense wrapping layer, which could effectively prevent flocculation, coalescence, or merger of the dispersed phase droplets caused by factors such as electrostatic attraction and interfacial energy changing the spatial structure. These results are of great significance to the efficient treatment of oilfield-produced fluids and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green thin-film composite (TFC) membranes can offer a sustainable solution for the separation of complex mixtures in aqueous and organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). However, the fabrication of TFC membranes has relied on toxic petrochemical-based monomers, solvents, and supports. Herein, we developed a green TFC membrane using solely sustainable resources. A fully biodegradable electrospun nanofibrous support comprising polylactic acid (PLA) and gelatin (as the interlayer) was developed for the TFC membranes. Dimethyl carbonate and water, as green solvents, were used for the dissolution of PLA and gelatin, respectively. The incorporation of the gelatin interlayer enhanced the hydrophilicity of the support, leading to the homogeneous adhesion of the TFC membrane. Green polyamide TFC membranes were fabricated on the porous support via the interfacial polymerization of natural monomers, namely the plant-based genipin in the aqueous phase, and priamine in the green organic solvent eucalyptol. The biodegradability of the support was demonstrated using proteinase K within 10 h. The green TFC membrane showed outstanding acetone permeance up to 10 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 with a molecular weight cut-off in the range of 178-391 g mol-1. The optimized membrane demonstrated an oil removal rate of 99.6% in the produced water treatment at a water permeance of 5.6 L m-2 h-1 bar-1. The robustness of the TFC membrane was evidenced through continuous crossflow filtration under 30 bar over seven days. The sustainability of the membrane was assessed and compared against green and conventional membranes. Overall, the excellent solvent stability and OSN performance of the ecofriendly TFC membranes can lead to new advances in sustainable membrane manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analcime (ANA) crystals have wide applications in the field of selective adsorption, nanoelectronics, light gas/hydrocarbon mixture separation, and radioactive element adsorbents. However, many organic templates were necessary to synthesize ANA crystals in previous work, causing significant environmental pollution and high cost. Thus, it is crucial to synthesize single ANA crystals under a simple system without the organic template. Herein, we explore the synthesis of large single ANA crystals (size up to 210 μm) in the template-free system of SiO2 : 0.274Al2O3 : 1.79Na2O : 190H2O at 180 °C for 40 h. The absence of expensive organic templates and hydrofluoric acid (HF) dramatically reduces the costs and pollution. This makes the method more conducive to mass production. Meanwhile, we report a series of growth conditions for ANA crystals with different sizes, which is more conducive for the preparation of the required ANA single crystals for different application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral resolution is an operation of great interest and increasing importance for the scientific community and industry. There are two approaches to provide enantiomerically pure compounds: by asymmetric synthesis of just one of the enantiomers or by resolution of racemates consisting of separating a mixture of both enantiomers. In the past years, extraordinary progress has been achieved in continuous enantiomeric separation, implementing more efficient procedures, and contributing to developing greener and more sustainable separation processes. This review article covers the main topics and applications of semi-continuous and continuous chiral separation focusing, in particular, on preferential crystallization, membrane separations, and continuous chromatography. It also offers an authors' perspective on potential future directions in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanowire microfluidics using a combination of self-assembly and nanofabrication technologies is expected to be applied to various fields due to its unique properties. We have been working on the fabrication of nanowire microfluidic devices and the development of analytical methods for biomolecules using the unique phenomena generated by the devices. The results of our research are not just limited to the development of nanospace control with "targeted dimensions" in "targeted arrangements" with "targeted materials/surfaces" in "targeted spatial locations/structures" in microfluidic channels, but also cover a wide range of analytical methods for biomolecules (extraction, separation/isolation, and detection) that are impossible to achieve with conventional technologies. Specifically, we are working on the extraction technology "the cancer-related microRNA extraction method in urine," the separation technology "the ultrafast and non-equilibrium separation method for biomolecules," and the detection technology "the highly sensitive electrical measurement method." These research studies are not just limited to the development of biomolecule analysis technology using nanotechnology, but are also opening up a new academic field in analytical chemistry that may lead to the discovery of new pretreatment, separation, and detection principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell separation has consistently been a pivotal technology of sample preparation in biomedical research. Compared with conventional bulky cell separation technologies applied in the clinic, cell separation based on microfluidics can accurately manipulate the displacement of liquid or cells at the microscale, which has great potential in point-of-care testing (POCT) applications due to small device size, low cost, low sample consumption, and high operating accuracy. Among various microfluidic cell separation technologies, inertial microfluidics has attracted great attention due to its simple structure and high throughput. In recent years, many researchers have explored the principles and applications of inertial microfluidics and developed different channel structures, including straight channels, curved channels, and multistage channels. However, the recently developed multistage channels have not been discussed and classified in detail compared with more widely discussed straight and curved channels. Therefore, in this review, a comprehensive and detailed review of recent progress in the multistage channel is presented. According to the channel structure, the inertial microfluidic separation technology is divided into (i) straight channel, (ii) curved channel, (iii) composite channel, and (iv) integrated device. The structural development of straight and curved channels is discussed in detail. And based on straight and curved channels, the multistage cell separation structures are reviewed, with a special focus on a variety of latest structures and related innovations of composite and integrated channels. Finally, the future prospects for the existing challenges in the development of inertial microfluidic cell separation technology are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The partial separation by column chromatography and characterization of pentafluorophenoxy-(chloro)n-boron subnaphthalocyanines (F5–ClnBsubNcs), a set of bay position chlorinated BsubNcs, has been conducted. This study is a follow up to our previous work whereby we were able to form a separation methodology that enabled the first example of the separation of bay position brominated BsubNcs (ArO–BrnBsubNcs) whereby axial phenoxylation is part of the macrocyclic design that enables separation. This study utilizes the same methodology to show the first example of partially separating the mixture of bay position chlorinated BsubNcs with an axial pentafluorophenoxy element (F5–ClnBsubNcs). The composition of each separated band was analytically characterized by HPLC, NMR, and MS to determine the compositions of each band; specifically, the quantification of bay-position chlorination. The photo-stability of the F5–ClnBsubNcs was determined under various conditions in solution of toluene and the higher level of bay position chlorination was found to increase the solution photostability of the F5–ClnBsubNc relative bands. The physical properties of a non-separated batch of F5–ClnBsubNcs and the separated bands were investigated photophysically and electrochemically for trend points of comparison of each band and to also compare against the past separated bay position brominated F5–BrnBsubNcs. In line with our previous study of F5–BrnBsubNcs, higher bay position chlorination of F5–ClnBsubNcs was found to decrease ΦPL, decrease the Stokes shift, red shift the absorption and emission maxima, as well increase the oxidation potentials and decrease the reduction potentials. The ΦPL of F5–ClnBsubNc was found to be on the order of 2.9 times higher than of F5–BrnBsubNcs with a similar degree of bay position halogenation, supporting the heavy atom effect of bromine/bromide as being the cause of the low ΦPL. Contrary to bay position bromination, bay position chlorination was found to have an increasing influence on the electrochemical first reduction half-wave potential and second reduction peak potential as the degree of chlorination increased. This follow up study, like the past study of F5–BrnBsubNcs, is leading to molecular and materials design principles by indicating the influence of bay position halogenation on photostability and various other physical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and label-free separation of target cells from biological samples provided unique opportunity for disease diagnostics and treatment. However, even with advanced technologies for cell separation, the limited throughput, high cost and low separation resolution still prevented their utility in separating cells with well-defined physical features from a large volume of biological samples. Here we described an ultrahigh-throughput microfluidic technology, termed as inertial-ferrohydrodynamic cell separation (inertial-FCS), that rapidly sorted through over 60 milliliters of samples at a throughput of 100 000 cells per second in a label-free manner, differentiating the cells based on their physical diameter difference with ∼1–2 μm separation resolution. Through the integration of inertial focusing and ferrohydrodynamic separation, we demonstrated that the resulting inertial-FCS devices could separate viable and expandable circulating tumor cells from cancer patients' blood with a high recovery rate and high purity. We also showed that the devices could enrich lymphocytes directly from white blood cells based on their physical morphology without any labeling steps. This label-free method could address the needs of high throughput and high resolution cell separation in circulating tumor cell research and adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centrifugal microfluidic chips offer rapid, highly integrable and simultaneous multi-channel microfluidic control without relying on external pressure pumps and pipelines. Current centrifugal microfluidic chips mainly separate particles of differing density based on the sedimentation method. However, in some biological cells, the volume difference is more notable than the density difference. In particular, cancer cells are generally larger than normal cells. The instability of particle velocity caused by the non-steady flow of the fluid in the centrifugal microfluidic chip leads to low separation purity of particles of different sizes. Thus, we propose herein a centrifugal microfluidic chip with a flow rectifier that transforms the centrifugal non-steady flow into locally steady flow with continuous flow. This chip resolves the problems caused by particle sedimentation in the sample chamber and non-steady flow and greatly improves the recovery ratio and separation purity of target particles. Therefore, it can be used to separate particles of differing size. The experimental results show that the chip can separate an equal-volume mixture of 25 μm and 12 μm polystyrene particles diluted 50 times with a ratio of 1 : 6 and obtain a recovery ratio and separation purity better than 95% for the 25 μm particles. In addition, rare tumour cells are separated from high-concentration white blood cells (ratio 1 : 25) with a recovery ratio of 90.4% ± 2.4% and separation purity of 83.0% ± 3.8%. In conclusion, this chip is promising for sorting of various biological cells and has significant potential for use in biomedical and clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular separations that enable selective transport of target molecules from gas and liquid molecular mixtures, such as CO2 capture, olefin/paraffin separations, and organic solvent nanofiltration, represent the most energy sensitive and significant demands. Membranes are favored for molecular separations owing to the advantages of energy efficiency, simplicity, scalability, and small environmental footprint. A number of emerging microporous organic materials have displayed great potential as building blocks of molecular separation membranes, which not only integrate the rigid, engineered pore structures and desirable stability of inorganic molecular sieve membranes, but also exhibit a high degree of freedom to create chemically rich combinations/sequences. To gain a deep insight into the intrinsic connections and characteristics of these microporous organic material-based membranes, in this review, for the first time, we propose the concept of organic molecular sieve membranes (OMSMs) with a focus on the precise construction of membrane structures and efficient intensification of membrane processes. The platform chemistries, designing principles, and assembly methods for the precise construction of OMSMs are elaborated. Conventional mass transport mechanisms are analyzed based on the interactions between OMSMs and penetrate(s). Particularly, the 'STEM' guidelines of OMSMs are highlighted to guide the precise construction of OMSM structures and efficient intensification of OMSM processes. Emerging mass transport mechanisms are elucidated inspired by the phenomena and principles of the mass transport processes in the biological realm. The representative applications of OMSMs in gas and liquid molecular mixture separations are highlighted. The major challenges and brief perspectives for the fundamental science and practical applications of OMSMs are tentatively identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, it is extremely urgent to face the increasing shortage of clean and safe water resources, determined by the exponential growth of both world population and its consumerism, climate change and pollution. Water remediation from traditional chemicals and contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) is supposed to be among the major methods to solve water scarcity issues. Reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane separation technologies have proven to be feasible, sustainable and highly effective methods for the removal of contaminants, comprising the extremely persistent and recalcitrant perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which failed to be treated through the traditional water treatment approaches. So far, however, they have been unable to assure PFASs levels under the established guidance limits for drinking water and still suffer from fouling problems, which limit their large-scale application. Novel configurations, improvement in process design and the development of high-performant materials for membrane production are important steps to tackle these issues, especially in view of new more stringent regulations limiting PFASs content in drinking water. As a possible future strategy, nanocomposite mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) offer a platform of advanced materials which promise to revolutionize RO/NF technologies for water treatment. In particular, the introduction of MOFs as adsorbent fillers in the polymeric membrane matrix appears as a viable approach for the effective and selective capture and removal of PFASs from water. The objective of this review is to provide a dedicated outlook on the most recent advances in RO and NF membrane technologies for PFASs removal. The effects of membrane properties, the solution chemistry, and contaminant properties on the RO/NF performances will be discussed in detail. Future challenges are also discussed, offering new perspectives toward the development of new advanced membranes with improved performance for PFAS removal, which are likely to significantly progress RO and NF technology for water remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purification of isomer monomers with high purity is extremely important, particularly in the fine chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, and so on. Herein, a selective cocrystallization (SCoC) technology based on non-covalent interactions between the target compound and cocrystal conformers was developed to effectively separate isomer mixtures. The unique and efficient selectivity nature of conformers and the general applicability of the selective cocrystallization method was tested through separating and purifying cresol isomer mixtures, pyridinecarboxamide isomer mixtures, and cis−/trans-butenedioic acid mixtures. Moreover, the nature of selective recognition to cocrystallize was confirmed both in the solution and solid states. Thus, this study demonstrates the feasibility of this novel SCoC technology, which is a new method for separating isomer mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the unexpected pressure-induced and time-dependent nucleation and crystallisation of n-pentane from a 1 : 1 mixture of n-pentane and iso-pentane. The crystal structure of n-pentane at 3.3 GPa is reported; the 19.6% decrease in volume up to 3.3 GPa is caused by the significant reduction of voids within the structure. The study has wider implications for the separation of mixtures of organic compounds that have similar melting and boiling points, as well as the use of a 1 : 1 mixture of n-pentane and iso-pentane as a pressure-transmitting medium in high-pressure diffraction experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of C2H2 and CO2 is of industrial significance but is highly challenging due to their close similarities in physical–chemical properties. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with tailored pore structures and tunable pore surfaces for the separation of C2H2/CO2 mixture are described in this perspective article. In terms of adsorption selectivity, MOF is classified into C2H2-selective MOF and CO2-selective MOF, which are discussed separately. Herein, we intend to present a short summary of the important advancements in C2H2/CO2 separation with MOFs. The relationship between the separation performance and structural features of MOFs, together with the separation mechanisms, has been discussed in detail. The challenges, research trends and opportunities in C2H2/CO2 separation with MOFs are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of molecularly imprinted membranes (MIMs) has promoted applications of membrane-based separation technology, which has shown considerable advantages in water treatment, chemical separation and drug purification. Herein, imitated core–shell PEI@SiO2-based enoxacin-imprinted nanocomposite membranes (SPEIMs) were developed by mixing polyethylenimene-modified silica nanoparticles with polyvinylidene fluoride powder under freezing operation. As a typical and hazardous water pollutant, enoxacin was selected as the template molecule. Morphology and chemical characterizations were explored for an insightful analysis of the obtained membranes. Based on the organic–inorganic hybrid strategy, the as-prepared SPEIMs exhibited superior selectivity towards the target (enoxacin). Satisfactory adsorption performance (55.94 mg g−1), permeability (3.22 for norfloxacin/enoxacin and 7.07 for ciprofloxacin/enoxacin) and regeneration performance (90.31%) were achieved onto SPEIMs. The products and methods obtained in this work would potentially enrich the applications of MIMs in pollution control and biochemical separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise manipulation of cells within water-in-oil emulsion droplets has the potential to vastly expand the type of cellular assays that can be conducted in droplet-based microfluidics systems. However, achieving such manipulation remains challenging. Here, we present an in-droplet label-free cell separation technology by utilizing different dielectrophoretic responses of two different cell types. Two pairs of angled planar electrodes were utilized to generate positive or negative dielectrophoretic force acting on each cell type, which results in selective in-droplet movement of only one specific cell type at a time. A downstream asymmetric Y-shaped microfluidic junction splits the mother droplet into two daughter droplets, each of which contains only one cell type. The capability of this platform was successfully demonstrated by conducting in-droplet separation from a mixture of Salmonella cells and macrophages, two cell types commonly used as a bacterial pathogenicity analysis model. This technology enable the precise manipulation of cells within droplets, which can be exploited as a critical function in implementing broader ranges of droplet-based microfluidics cellular assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocarbon separation is one of the most critically important and complex industrial separation processes, offering versatile bulk chemicals and vital support to the national economy. Traditional separation technologies, such as cryogenic distillation and solvent extraction, are energy-intensive and cause serious environmental stress. Moreover, the growth of industries and technologies and the greater requirements for products (e.g., purity) lead to challenges that cannot be met using traditional separation methods. Adsorptive and membrane-based separations are recognized as energy-efficient alternatives by which to revolutionize the current energy-intensive conditions and satisfy the new demands. This critical review presents the recent progress in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and related membranes (e.g., continuous MOF membranes and mixed-matrix membranes) for hydrocarbon separation. The contributions of the underlying separation mechanisms (e.g., enthalpy-driven thermodynamic equilibrium, molecular sieving, kinetic separation based on molecular size, and combined mechanisms) and the adopted strategies (e.g., defect and microstructure control, membrane thickness and interfacial compatibility) to the breaking of trade-off (e.g., permeability/selectivity and capacity/selectivity) and the design of novel materials and processing technologies are discussed. Moreover, this review also summarizes the potential barriers that exist from the academic to the ultimate industrial implementations and the prospects of future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disaccharide sucrose (α- D -glucopyranosyl-1,2-β- D -fructofuranoside) is a highly efficient donor substrate for enzymatic glucosylation reactions. A large number of commercially relevant glucosides are produced via this general route. Every sucrose-based glucosylation involves co-production of D -fructose in amounts corresponding to the target glucoside. A separation technology for selective removal, and efficient recovery, of the D -fructose co-product would be highly desirable as a generic platform for downstream process development. Here, we demonstrate organoboronate-complex reactive extraction of D -fructose into an 1-octanol/hexane (4/1, v/v) solvent using methyltrioctyl ammonium chloride as phase transfer catalyst and extractant. We show separation of the D -fructose co-product (100 mM) from equimolar mixture with 2-α- D -glucosyl-glycerol, a cosmetic ingredient that is manufactured industrially from sucrose and glycerol using sucrose phosphorylase. With the main parameters of extraction, stripping and organic phase recycling identified and their effect on product/co-product yield and purity characterized, we developed a three-step extraction process with alternating extraction and stripping stages that removed the D -fructose efficiently at 50 ml operating scale. 2-α- D -glucosyl-glycerol and D -fructose were cleanly separated and obtained in excellent purity (≥90%) at a recovery of 90% and 83%, respectively. Reactive extraction appears to be faster and more selective and resource-efficient than applicable alternatives for separation, including chromatography and membrane nanofiltration. Thus, the established extraction process is promising for industrial application. It could be generically useful to separate D -fructose from glucosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a novel column fabrication approach for capillary gas chromatography (CGC) through the condensation reaction of a hydroxyl-terminated polymer with a cross-linker inside a capillary column. In this work, polypropylene glycol (PPG 4000) and tris[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]isocyanurate (ICS) were employed to fabricate the PPG-gel capillary column for GC analyses. Inside the column, a 3D cross-linked organogel network forms on the capillary inner surface by condensation of PPG 4000 with ICS under the given mild conditions. As a result, the PPG-gel column exhibited moderate polarity and showed distinctly advantageous resolving performance and inertness for carboxylic acids over the PPG column by the conventional static coating method. Also, it achieved high-resolution separations of the isomer mixtures of alkanes, alkylbenzenes and halobenzenes. Moreover, the PPG-gel column exhibited dramatically improved solvent stability because of its cross-linked organogel network. The organogel column displayed excellent column repeatability and reproducibility with the RSD% values in the range of 0.01–0.04% for run-to-run, 0.71–0.84% for day-to-day and 2.4–3.1% for column-to-column. The proposed organogel approach is facile and applicable to other analogous materials and has a promising future for wide applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks featuring open metal coordination sites have been widely studied for the separation of gas mixtures. For CO2/N2 separations, these materials have shown considerable promise. Herein, we report the characterization of a subset of the well-known PCN-250 class of frameworks upon CO2 adsorption via powder neutron diffraction methods. Noteably, in contrast to previously reported data, they display only moderate CO2 adsorption enthalpies, based on metal cation–CO2 interactions. Further, we show charge balance in these materials is likely achieved via ligand vacancies rather than the presence of μ3-OH groups in the trimetallic cluster that comprises them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of crystalline porous polymers with highly tuneable structures and functionalities. COFs have been proposed as ideal materials for applications in the energy-intensive field of molecular separation due to their notable intrinsic features such as low density, exceptional stability, high surface area, and readily adjustable pore size and chemical environment. This review attempts to highlight the key advancements made in the synthesis of COFs for diverse separation applications such as water treatment or the separation of gas mixtures and organic molecules, including chiral and isomeric compounds. Methods proposed for the fabrication of COF-based columns and continuous membranes for practical applications are also discussed in detail. Finally, a perspective regarding the remaining challenges and future directions for COF research in the field of separation has also been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a back cover of an article published in the journal "Dalton Transactions: An International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry." The article, written by Jiabo Wang and his team, showcases research on the synthesis of an efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation. The researchers used a high-temperature calcination process to create N-doped graphene-like supported bimetallic NiCoP nanoparticles. The unique morphology of the nanoparticles enhances the material's surface area and improves its performance in the oxygen evolution reaction. The article provides further details on the synthesis and characterization of the electrocatalyst. [Extracted from the article]

This highlight investigates the different aspects of electric fields controlling crystallization, focusing on strong electric fields. Application of both internal and external electric fields, as well as utilizing both alternating and direct currents (AC and DC) are discussed, with an emphasis on protein crystallization. Attention is drawn to the similarities and opposing findings within the papers published in the field to date. It has been demonstrated that the crystallization process can be significantly enhanced by the application of electric fields. Namely, electric fields can reduce the nucleation time, control the location of nucleation, increase the product yield, control the product crystal size, enhance overall crystal quality, control the crystal orientation and control the polymorphism. In addition, recent advances including the use of an electric field for separation of multicomponent mixtures, electric field-assisted crystallization in a continuous flow, and transformation of amorphous material into crystalline are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the formidable challenge posed by microheterogeneities in glycosylation sites, macroheterogeneity of the modification number of glycans, and low abundance and ionization efficiency of glycosylation, the crucial premise for conducting in-depth profiling of the glycoproteome is to develop highly efficient technology for separation and enrichment. The appearance of hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) has considerably accelerated the progress in glycoproteomics. In particular, additional hydrophilic nanomaterials have been developed for glycoproteomics research in the recent years. In this review, we mainly summarize the recent progresses made in the design and synthesis of different hydrophilic nanomaterials, as well as their applications in glycoproteomics, according to the classification of the main hydrophilic functional molecules on the surface. Further, we briefly illustrate the potential retention mechanism of the HILIC mode and discuss the limits and barriers of hydrophilic nanomaterials in glycoproteomics, as well as propose their possible development trends in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]