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Griseofulvin represents a rare case of a close-packed organic apohost that can clathrate selected volatile guests in a solid-gas fashion. Inclusion mechanisms and solvent exchange were investigated by a combination of single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, coupled to optical microscopy and thermal analyses. In particular, gas diffusion and dissolution/recrystallization are alternatively observed, depending on the host polymorph, as well as the chemical nature of the guest and its physical state., (© 2024 The Author(s). Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

In this study L-(+)-tartaric acid was used to extract metals from either pure cathode material (NMC111) or black mass from spent lithium-ion batteries. The leaching efficiencies of Li, Co, Ni, and Mn from NMC111 are >87 % at 70 °C, with an initial solid to liquid ratio of 17, and >72.4±1.0 % from black mass under corresponding conditions. The metals tend to form mixed phases in antisolvent crystallization and seeding has a minimal effect on the final solid composition. Impurities influence both crystal nucleation and growth. By controlling the antisolvent addition rate crystal growth can be promoted. The theoretical dielectric constant of the solution is shown to correlate excellently to the recovery efficiency across different antisolvents, where a value <52 results in over 95 % total transition metal recovery efficiency. The correlation can be a powerful tool for quantitative prediction of optimal solvent composition for effective antisolvent crystallization., (© 2024 The Author(s). ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have garnered attention in Li-ion battery (LIB) recycling due to their declared eco-friendly attributes and adjustable metal dissolution selectivity, offering a promising avenue for recycling processes. However, DESs currently lack competitiveness compared to mineral acids, commonly used in industrial-scale LIB recycling. Current research primarily focuses on optimizing DES formulation and experimental conditions to maximize metal dissolution yields in standalone leaching experiments. While achieving yields comparable to traditional leaching systems is important, extensive DES reuse is vital for overall recycling feasibility. To achieve this, evaluating the metal dissolution mechanism can assist in estimating DES consumption rates and assessing process makeup stream costs. The selection of appropriate metal recovery and DES regeneration strategies is essential to enable subsequent reuse over multiple cycles. Finally, decomposition of DES components should be avoided throughout the designed recycling process, as by-products can impact leaching efficiency and compromise the safety and environmental friendliness of DES. In this review, these aspects are emphasized with the aim of directing research efforts away from simply pursuing the maximization of metal dissolution efficiency, towards a broader view focusing on the application of DES beyond the laboratory scale., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The early stages of the molecular self-assembly pathway leading to crystal nucleation have a significant influence on the properties and purity of organic materials. This mini review collates the work on organic mesoscale clusters and discusses their importance in nucleation processes, with a particular focus on their critical properties and susceptibility to sample treatment parameters. This is accomplished by a review of detection methods, including dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis, small angle X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. Considering the challenges associated with crystallisation of flexible and large-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients, the dynamic nature of mesoscale clusters has the potential to expand the discovery of novel crystal forms. By collating literature on mesoscale clusters for organic molecules, a more comprehensive understanding of their role in nucleation will evolve and can guide further research efforts., (© 2023 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)