The preparation of supported ionic liquids (SILs) and their application in rare metals separation

Innovative strategies for enhancing gas separation: Ionic liquid-coated PES membranes for improved CO2/N2 selectivity and permeance

As a cost-effective advancement in membrane technology, this study investigates the impact of PEG additive and CBT on the structural, stability, and gas permeance properties of PES-coated membranes, utilizing 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid ([DDMI][Cl] IL) as a carrier liquid. BET and FT-IR analyses highlight the significant enhancement in performance through the immobilization of pores with [DDMIM][Cl] IL. The investigation focuses on PES-M5-coated membranes, revealing excellent stability in finger-like pore structures prepared through direct immersion and nitrogen pressure immobilization. PES-M5-coated membranes with [DDMIM][Cl] IL via direct immersion experience lower weight loss than those coated using nitrogen pressure, with critical pressures at 1.4 and 1.25 bar, respectively. The study identifies PES-coated membranes, particularly PES-M25 (20.88 GPU) with macro-void pores and PES-M5 (29 GPU) with finger-like pores, exhibiting the highest CO2 permeance and CO2/N2 selectivity. As a cost-effective advancement in membrane technology, ionic liquids are employed in support membranes to enhance gas separation. Employing pure PES membranes with varying pore structures, created through the NIPS method, the study immobilizes [DDMI][Cl] IL in membrane pores through nitrogen pressure and direct immersion. Results underscore the successful application of porous support materials coated with ionic liquids for continuous CO2 and sulfur compound separation, showcasing competitive permeability and selectivity compared to traditional polymer membranes.

Ionic liquid-immobilized silica gel as a new sorbent for solid-phase extraction of heavy metal ions in water samples

In the current study, we have developed a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method with novel C18-alkylimidazolium ionic liquid immobilized silica (SiO₂–(CH₂)₃–Im–C₁₈) for the preconcentration of trace heavy metals from aqueous samples as a prior step to their determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The material was characterized by Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. A mini-column packed with SiO₂–(CH₂)₃–Im–C₁₈ sorbent was used for the extraction of the metal ions complexed with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) from the water sample. The effects of pH, PAN concentration, length of the alkyl chain of the ionic liquid, eluent concentration, eluent volume, and breakthrough volume have been investigated. The SiO₂–(CH₂)₃–Im–C₁₈ allows the isolation and preconcentration of the heavy metal ions with enrichment factors of 150, 60, 80, 80, and 150 for Cr³⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺, respectively. The limits of detection (LODs) for Cr³⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺ were 0.724, 11.329, 4.571, 0.112, and 0.819 μg L⁻¹, respectively with the relative standard deviation (RSD) in the range of 0.941–1.351%.

Novel C18-alkylimidazolium ionic liquid immobilized silica (SiO₂–(CH₂)₃–Im–C₁₈) was synthesized through a four-step procedure. It showed high efficiency for the separation/preconcentration of trace heavy metal ions from aqueous samples.

Effectiveness of ionic liquid-supported membranes for carbon dioxide capture: a review

The world's population explosion creates a need for natural resources for energy, which will become a significant contributor to global climate change. As we all know, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the most critical elements of the global greenhouse gas effect. CO₂ capture and storage innovations have piqued researchers' attention in recent decades. Compared to other methods, membrane separation has some positive performance in CO₂ capture. CO₂ capture with membrane separation using enhanced ionic liquids (ILs) is described in this review. ILs have made an appearance in CO₂ capture work as the potential additive, and companies and academics have been interested in CO₂ separation for the past two decades. This article comprehensively analyzes the current modern approach in ILs and IL-based membranes for gas separation processes. Based on the latest literature and performance data, this work provides a complete compressive examination of types of ILs and IL-supported membrane performances. ILs for CO₂ capture were also explored, and IL-based membranes for different ILs were also studied. This study emphasizes the supremacy of novel ILs for CO₂ capture in membrane separation.

Liquid- and Solid-based Separations Employing Ionic Liquids for the Recovery of Platinum Group Metals Typically Encountered in Catalytic Converters: A Review

The wide application range and ascending demand for platinum group metals combined with the progressive depletion of their natural resources renders their efficient recycling a very important and pressing matter. Primarily environmental considerations associated with state-of-the-art recovery processes have shifted the focus of the scientific community toward the investigation of alternative recycling approaches. Within this context, ionic liquids have gained considerable attention in the last two decades chiefly sparked by properties such as tunabilty, low-volatility, and relatively easy recyclability. In this review an understanding of the state-of-the-art processes, including their drawbacks and limitations, is provided. The core of the discussion is focused on platinum group metal recovery with ionic liquid-based systems. A brief insight in some environmental considerations related to ionic liquids is also provided while some discussion on research gaps, common misconceptions related to ionic liquids and outlook on unresolved issues could not be absent from this review.

A Review on Ionic Liquid Gas Separation Membranes

Ionic liquids have attracted the attention of the industry and research community as versatile solvents with unique properties, such as ionic conductivity, low volatility, high solubility of gases and vapors, thermal stability, and the possibility to combine anions and cations to yield an almost endless list of different structures. These features open perspectives for numerous applications, such as the reaction medium for chemical synthesis, electrolytes for batteries, solvent for gas sorption processes, and also membranes for gas separation. In the search for better-performing membrane materials and membranes for gas and vapor separation, ionic liquids have been investigated extensively in the last decade and a half. This review gives a complete overview of the main developments in the field of ionic liquid membranes since their first introduction. It covers all different materials, membrane types, their preparation, pure and mixed gas transport properties, and examples of potential gas separation applications. Special systems will also be discussed, including facilitated transport membranes and mixed matrix membranes. The main strengths and weaknesses of the different membrane types will be discussed, subdividing them into supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs), poly(ionic liquids) or polymerized ionic liquids (PILs), polymer/ionic liquid blends (physically or chemically cross-linked 'ion-gels'), and PIL/IL blends. Since membrane processes are advancing as an energy-efficient alternative to traditional separation processes, having shown promising results for complex new separation challenges like carbon capture as well, they may be the key to developing a more sustainable future society. In this light, this review presents the state-of-the-art of ionic liquid membranes, to analyze their potential in the gas separation processes of the future.

Solvent impregnated resins for the treatment of aqueous solutions containing different compounds: a review

In this review paper, a complete study and analysis of the research articles dealing with the removal of various organic and inorganic pollutants using solvent impregnated resins (SIR) is carried out. The method of impregnation, characterizations of prepared resin, and regeneration techniques of different SIRs for batch and continuous fixed bed columns are presented. The effects of different operating parameters (e.g., loading of solvent on the resin, dosage of adsorbent, initial solute concentration, pH, temperature, time, ionic strength) on the separation efficiency of SIR in the batch mode are discussed. Thermodynamic parameters (change in Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy) are tabulated from the data available in the literature, and if not given, then their values are calculated and presented. The influence of parameters (flow rate, bed height, pH, concentration of the solution, etc.) on the fixed bed column performance is analyzed. Design aspects of the column are also discussed, and the dimensions of fixed bed columns for industrial applications are proposed.

Recovery of Rare Earth Elements by Carbon-Based Nanomaterials-A Review

Modern societies depend strongly on electronic and electric equipment (EEE) which has a side effect result on the large production of electronic wastes (e-waste). This has been regarded as a worldwide issue, because of its environmental impact-namely due to non-adequate treatment and storage limitations. In particular, EEE is dependent on the availability of rare earth elements (REEs), considered as the "vitamins" of modern industry, due to their crucial role in the development of new cutting-edge technologies. High demand and limited resources of REEs in Europe, combined with potential environmental problems, enforce the development of innovative low-cost techniques and materials to recover these elements from e-waste and wastewaters. In this context, sorption methods have shown advantages to pre-concentrate REEs from wastewaters and several studies have reported the use of diverse nanomaterials for these purposes, although mostly describing the sorption of REEs from synthetic and mono-elemental solutions at unrealistic metal concentrations. This review is a one-stop-reference by bringing together recent research works in the scope of the application of carbon nanomaterials for the recovery of REEs from water.

Covalently immobilized ionic liquids on single layer nanosheets for heterogeneous catalysis applications

Covalently immobilized ionic liquids on sinlge layer α-zirconium phosphate nanosheets can serve as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for various reactions, such as Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde with ethyl cyanoacetate.

Recovery of scandium(iii) from diluted aqueous solutions by a supported ionic liquid phase (SILP)

Recovery of scandium from secondary resources like bauxite residue by a supported ionic liquid phase (SILP).

One-Pot Synthesis of Substituted Piperidinones and 3,4-Dihydropyrimidinones Using a Highly Active and Recyclable Supported Ionic Liquid Phase Organocatalyst

1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate was synthesized and its supported ionic liquid phase form was prepared and used as an organocatalyst for the synthesis of substituted piperidinones and 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones. The ionic liquid was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry. The catalyst is novel, stable, completely heterogeneous, and recyclable for several times and can be easily recovered by filtration. It was characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The workup procedures are very simple, and products were obtained in good-to-excellent yields with reasonable purities without the need for further chromatographic purification.

Use of styrene–divinylbenzene grafted with aminoethylaminomethyl groups and various ionic liquids in the removal process of thallium and strontium

This work reports the adsorption of thallium and strontium from aqueous solutions onto styrene-divinylbenzene grafted with aminoethylaminomethyl groups which was impregnated with various ionic liquids [trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride ionic liquid – (Cyphos IL-101); 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate – (OmimBF4) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate – (BmimPF6)]. The impregnation of the solid support with the studied ionic liquids was realized through ultrasonication method. The obtained impregnated materials have been subjected to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Their adsorption performance in the removal process of thallium and strontium from aqueous solutions was studied as a function of the initial concentration of metal ions. Adsorption isotherms like Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) and Temkin were used to analyze the equilibrium data at different concentrations. The studied materials showed a better adsorption performance in the removal process of strontium ions compared to the adsorption performance obtained in case of thallium ions removal process. From the studied ionic liquids, (OmimBF4) presented the most efficient performance for the removal of the studied metal ions.

Cs+ removal from aqueous solutions through adsorption onto Florisil® impregnated with trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium chloride

This research determined the adsorption performance of Florisil® impregnated with trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium chloride (Cyphos IL-101) in the process of Cs+ removal from aqueous solutions. The obtained Florisil® impregnated with the studied ionic liquid was characterized through energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in order to verify that the impregnation with the ionic liquid had occurred. The adsorption process has been investigated as a function of pH, solid:liquid ratio, adsorbate concentration, contact time and temperature. The isotherm data was well described by a Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacities of the Florisil® impregnated with the studied ionic liquid was found to be 3.086 mg Cs+/g of adsorbent. The results indicated that the adsorption fitted well with the pseudo-second order kinetic model.

Novel luminescent soft materials of terpyridine-containing ionic liquids and europium(III)

Herein, we describe novel luminescent soft materials via reaction of Eu(3+)-coordinated carboxyl functionalized ionic liquids with terpyridine-functionalized imidazolium salts that are built from an imidazolium ring substituted on one side with a terpyridine derivative and, on the opposite side, a paraffin chain of various lengths. The obtained materials are either pastelike substances or viscous fluids, depending on the anions of the carboxyl functionalized ionic liquids. The soft luminescent materials were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and luminescence spectroscopy. The soft materials show bright red emission irradiated with UV light, because of the energy transfer from terpyridine-functionalized imidazolium salts to the Eu(3+) ions. The absolute quantum yields of the materials were determined and the energy transfer efficiency was estimated according to the reported method.