Understanding the Adsorption of Rare-Earth Elements in Oligo-Grafted Mesoporous Carbon

Sorption and Desorption of Vapor of n-Pentane by Porphyrin Aluminum Metal-Organic Framework: Mechanism of Bonding, Kinetics and Stoichiometry by Complementary In-Situ Time-Dependent and Ex-Situ Methods

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly nanostructured coordination polymers that contain metal cations and organic linkers and feature very large pore volumes and surface areas. The sorption and desorption of n-pentane vapor by porphyrin aluminum metal-organic framework Al-MOF-TCPPH₂ where TCPPH₂ is tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin linker were studied by a novel method of in-situ time-dependent attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy in a controlled atmosphere and complementary in-situ and ex-situ methods. Sorption facilely occurs in the flow of dried air, and in the obtained adsorption complex the adsorbate molecules interact with phenyl and carboxylate groups of the linker and the O-H group. Sorption kinetics follows the pseudo-first-order rate law, as confirmed by in-situ time-dependent gravimetry. Further, an ex-situ (static) sorption of n-pentane vapor results in an adsorption complex with as much as 29.1 wt.% n-pentane with the stoichiometric formula [Al-MOF-TCPPH₂]₂(n-C₅H₁₂)₇ and a distinct XRD pattern. Finally, in the flow of dried air, the adsorption complex gradually desorbed n-pentane, following the pseudo-first-order rate law. The reversibility of sorption and desorption makes porphyrin aluminum MOF promising for the separation of light hydrocarbons and chemo-sensing. In-situ time-dependent ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in a controlled atmosphere, in combination with in-situ time-dependent gravimetry, is a new approach for the determination of binding sites of sorbents with adsorbate molecules, the stoichiometry of complexes, and chemical kinetics of "solid-gas" interactions.

Preparation and Superstrong Adsorption of a Novel La(Ⅲ)-Crosslinked Alginate/Modified Diatomite Macroparticle Composite for Anionic Dyes Removal from Aqueous Solutions

In order to solve the problem of dye pollution of the water environment, a green macroparticle composite (CPAM-Dia/SA-La) as a bioadsorbent was prepared through a sodium alginate (SA) reaction with a polyacrylamide (CPAM)-modified diatomite (Dia) and further La(III) ion crosslinking polymerization, and characterized by various analytical methods. The important preparation and adsorption conditions of the composite were explored by the adsorption of Acid blue 113 (AB 113) and Congo red (CR) dyes. The dye adsorption efficiency was evaluated. The results show that CPAM-Dia/SA-La composite prepared under the optimized conditions displays superstrong adsorption capacities of 2907 and 1578 mg/g for AB 113 and CR and almost 100% removal efficiency within 60 min adsorption time at pH 2.0 and 298 K, and they decrease slightly with the pH increase to 10. The fitting of equilibrium data to the Langmuir model is the best and the adsorption kinetic processes can be expressed by the Pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption processes are both spontaneous and exothermic. The analysis results of FT-IR and XPS revealed that the superstrong adsorption of CPAM-Dia/SA-La for dyes. The composite adsorbed by the dye can be recycled. CPAM-Dia/SA-La is a promising biosorbent for dye wastewater treatment.

Analysis of the Adsorption-Release Isotherms of Pentaethylenehexamine-Modified Sorbents for Rare Earth Elements (Y, Nd, La)

Waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is constantly increasing in quantity and becoming more and more heterogeneous as technology is rapidly advancing. The negative impacts it has on human and environment safety, and its richness in valuable rare earth elements (REEs), are accelerating the necessity of innovative methods for recycling and recovery processes. The aim of this work is to comprehend the adsorption and release mechanisms of two different solid sorbents, activated carbon (AC) and its pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA)-modified derivative (MAC), which were deemed adequate for the treatment of REEs deriving from WEEE. Experimental data from adsorption and release tests, performed on synthetic mono-ionic solutions of yttrium, neodymium, and lanthanum, were modelled via linear regression to understand the better prediction between the Langmuir and the Freundlich isotherms for each REE-sorbent couple. The parameters extrapolated from the mathematical modelling were useful to gain an a priori knowledge of the REEs-sorbents interactions. Intraparticle diffusion was the main adsorption mechanism for AC. PEHA contributed to adsorption by means of coordination on amino groups. Release was based on protons fostering both a cation exchange mechanism and protonation. The investigated materials confirmed their potential suitability to be employed in real processes on WEEE at the industrial level.

Direct Ink 3D Printing of Porous Carbon Monoliths for Gas Separations

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is the advanced method of manufacturing monolithic adsorbent materials. Unlike beads or pellets, 3D monolithic adsorbents possess the advantages of widespread structural varieties, low heat and mass transfer resistance, and low channeling of fluids. Despite a large volume of research on 3D printing of adsorbents having been reported, such studies on porous carbons are highly limited. In this work, we have reported direct ink 3D printing of porous carbon; the ink consisted of commercial activated carbon, a gel of poly(4-vinylphenol) and Pluronic F127 as plasticizer, and bentonite as the binder. The 3D printing was performed in a commercial 3D printer that has been extensively modified in the lab. Upon 3D printing and carbonization, the resultant 3D printed porous carbon demonstrated a stable structure with a BET area of 400 m²/g and a total pore volume of 0.27 cm³/g. The isotherms of six pure-component gases, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, N₂, CO, and H₂, were measured on this carbon monolith at 298 K and pressure up to 1 bar. The selectivity of four gas pairs, C₂H₆/CH₄, CH₄/N₂, CO/H₂, and CO₂/N₂, was calculated by Ideally Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST) and reported. Ten continuous cycles of adsorption and desorption of CO₂ on this carbon confirmed no loss of working capacity of the adsorbent.