Lithium and cobalt extraction from LiCoO2 assisted by p(VBPDA-co-FDA) copolymers in supercritical CO2

Supercritical CO2 (scCO2) extraction assisted by complexing copolymers is a promising process to recover valuable metals from lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). CO2, in addition to being non-toxic, abundant and non-flammable, allows an easy separation of metal-complexes from the extraction medium by depressurization, limiting the wastewater production. In this study, CO2-philic gradient copolymers bearing phosphonic diacid complexing groups (poly(vinylbenzylphosphonic diacid-co-1,1,2,2-tetrahydroperfluorodecylacrylate), p(VBPDA-co-FDA)) were synthesized for the extraction of lithium and cobalt from LiCoO2 cathode material. Notably, the copolymer was able to play the triple role of leaching agent, complexing agent and surfactant. The proof of concept for leaching, complexation and extraction was achieved, using two different extraction systems. A first extraction system used aqueous hydrogen peroxide as reducing agent while it was replaced by ethanol in the second extraction system. The scCO2 extraction conditions such as extraction time, temperature, functional copolymer concentration, and the presence of additives were optimized to improve the metals extraction from LiCoO2 cathode material, leading to an extraction efficiency of Li and Co up to ca. 75 % at 60 °C and 250 bar.

Contribution of Different Molecules and Moieties to the Surface Tension in Aqueous Surfactant Solutions. II: Role of the Size and Charge Sign of the Counterions

Understanding the role of the counterion species in surfactant solutions is a complicated task, made harder by the fact that, experimentally, it is not possible to vary independently bulk and surface quantities. Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations at constant surface coverage of the liquid/vapor interface of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium dodecyl sulfate aqueous solutions. We investigate the effect of counterion type and charge sign on the surface tension of the solution, analyzing the contribution of different species and moieties to the lateral pressure profile. The observed trends are qualitatively compatible with the Hofmeister series, with the notable exception of sodium. We point out a possible shortcoming of what is at the moment, in our experience, the most realistic nonpolarizable force field (CHARMM36) that includes the parametrization for the whole series of alkali counterions. In the artificial system where the counterion and surfactant charges are inverted in sign, the counterions become considerably harder. This charge inversion changes considerably the surface tension contributions of the counterions, surfactant headgroups, and water molecules, stressing the key role of the hardness of the counterions in this respect. However, the hydration free energy gain of the counterions, occurring upon charge inversion, is compensated by the concomitant free energy loss of the headgroups and water molecules, leading to a negligible change in the surface tension of the entire system.

Calculation of the Free Energy of Mixing as a Tool for Assessing and Improving Potential Models: The Case of the N,N-Dimethylformamide-Water System

The Helmholtz free energy, energy, and entropy of mixing of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and water are calculated in the entire composition range by means of Monte Carlo computer simulations and thermodynamic integration using all possible combinations of five DMF and three widely used water models. Our results reveal that the mixing of DMF and water is highly non-ideal. Thus, in their dilute solutions, both molecules induce structural ordering of the major component, as evidenced by the concomitant decrease in the entropy. Among the 15 model combinations considered, only 4 reproduce the well-known full miscibility of DMF and water, 3 of which strongly exaggerate the thermodynamic driving force of the miscibility. Thus, the combination of the CS2 model of DMF and the TIP4P/2005 water model reproduces the properties of the DMF-water mixtures far better than the other combinations tested. Our results also reveal that moving a fractional negative charge from the N atom to the O atom of the DMF molecule, leading to the increase in its dipole moment, improves the miscibility of the model with water. Starting from the CS2 model and optimizing the charge to be moved, we propose a new model of DMF that reproduces very accurately both the Helmholtz free energy of mixing of aqueous DMF solutions in the entire composition range (when used in combination with the TIP4P/2005 water model) and also the internal energy of neat DMF.

Thermodynamics of mixing methanol with supercritical CO2 as seen from computer simulations and thermodynamic integration

The changes in extensive thermodynamic quantities, such as volume, energy, Helmholtz free energy and entropy, occurring upon mixing liquid methanol with supercritical CO₂, are calculated using Monte Carlo simulations and thermodynamic integration for all eight combinations of four methanol and two CO₂ potential models in the entire composition range at 313 K. The obtained results are also compared with experimental data whenever possible. The transition of the system from liquid to a supercritical state is found to occur at this temperature around a CO₂ mole fraction value of 0.95 with all model combinations considered. This liquid to supercritical transition is always accompanied by positive Helmholtz free energy of mixing values and, consequently, by the non-miscibility of the two components. Furthermore, both this non-miscibility around the liquid to supercritical transition and also the miscibility of the two components below this transition, in the liquid regime, are found to be primarily of the energetic rather than entropic origin; the entropy of mixing turns out to be very close to zero, and around the liquid to supercritical transition even its qualitative behaviour is strongly model dependent. Finally, it is found that the methanol expansion coefficient is not sensitive to the details of the potential models, and it is always in excellent agreement with the experimental data. On the other hand, both the volume and the energy of mixing depend strongly on the molar volume of neat CO₂ in the model being used, and in this respect the TraPPE model of CO₂ [J. J. Potoff and J. I. Siepmann, AIChE J., 2001, 47, 1676] performs considerably better than that of Zhang and Duan [Z. Zhang and Z. Duan, J. Chem. Phys., 2005, 122, 214507].

Thermodynamics of Mixing Primary Alkanolamines with Water

The volume, energy, entropy, and Helmholtz free energy of mixing of the seven simplest primary alkanolamine molecules, i.e., monoethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, 2-amino-propan-1-ol, 2-amino-butan-1-ol, 2-amino-2-methyl-propan-1-ol, 1-amino-2-methyl-propan-2-ol, and 1-amino-butan-2-ol, with water is investigated by extensive computer simulations and thermodynamic integration. To check the force field dependence of the results, all calculations are repeated with two commonly used water models, namely, SPC/E and TIP4P. The obtained results show that the thermodynamics of mixing of alkanolamines and water is largely independent from the type of the alkanolamine molecule. The Helmholtz free energy of mixing is found to be negative for all alkanolamines at every composition, in accordance with the experimentally known full miscibility of these molecules and water. This free energy decrease occurring upon mixing is found to be clearly of energetic origin, as the energy of mixing always turns out to be negative in the entire composition range, while the entropy of mixing is also negative up to high alkanolamine mole fractions. The obtained results suggest that alkanolamines form, on average, stronger hydrogen bonds with water than what is formed by two water molecules, and they induce some ordering of the hydrating water molecules both through the hydrophobic hydration of their side chains and through the strong hydrogen bonding.

Miscibility and Thermodynamics of Mixing of Different Models of Formamide and Water in Computer Simulation

The thermodynamic changes that occur upon mixing five models of formamide and three models of water, including the miscibility of these model combinations itself, is studied by performing Monte Carlo computer simulations using an appropriately chosen thermodynamic cycle and the method of thermodynamic integration. The results show that the mixing of these two components is close to the ideal mixing, as both the energy and entropy of mixing turn out to be rather close to the ideal term in the entire composition range. Concerning the energy of mixing, the OPLS/AA_mod model of formamide behaves in a qualitatively different way than the other models considered. Thus, this model results in negative, while the other ones in positive energy of mixing values in combination with all three water models considered. Experimental data supports this latter behavior. Although the Helmholtz free energy of mixing always turns out to be negative in the entire composition range, the majority of the model combinations tested either show limited miscibility, or, at least, approach the miscibility limit very closely in certain compositions. Concerning both the miscibility and the energy of mixing of these model combinations, we recommend the use of the combination of the CHARMM formamide and TIP4P water models in simulations of water-formamide mixtures.

Structure-Property Relationships in CO2-philic (Co)polymers: Phase Behavior, Self-Assembly, and Stabilization of Water/CO2 Emulsions

This Review provides comprehensive guidelines for the design of CO2-philic copolymers through an exhaustive and precise coverage of factors governing the solubility of different classes of polymers. Starting from computational calculations describing the interactions of CO2 with various functionalities, we describe the phase behavior in sc-CO2 of the main families of polymers reported in literature. The self-assembly of amphiphilic copolymers of controlled architecture in supercritical carbon dioxide and their use as stabilizers for water/carbon dioxide emulsions then are covered. The relationships between the structure of such materials and their behavior in solutions and at interfaces are systematically underlined throughout these sections.

Thermodynamics of mixing water with dimethyl sulfoxide, as seen from computer simulations

The Helmholtz free energy, energy, and entropy of mixing of eight different models of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with four widely used water models are calculated at 298 K over the entire composition range by means of thermodynamic integration along a suitably chosen thermodynamic path, and compared with experimental data. All 32 model combinations considered are able to reproduce the experimental values rather well, within RT (free energy and energy) and R (entropy) at any composition, and quite often the deviation from the experimental data is even smaller, being in the order of the uncertainty of the calculated free energy or energy, and entropy values of 0.1 kJ/mol and 0.1 J/(mol K), respectively. On the other hand, none of the model combinations considered can accurately reproduce all three experimental functions simultaneously. Furthermore, the fact that the entropy of mixing changes sign with increasing DMSO mole fraction is only reproduced by a handful of model pairs. Model combinations that (i) give the best reproduction of the experimental free energy, while still reasonably well reproducing the experimental energy and entropy of mixing, and (ii) that give the best reproduction of the experimental energy and entropy, while still reasonably well reproducing the experimental free energy of mixing, are identified.

Preparation of Poly-(Methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic Anhydride) Nanoparticles by Solution-Enhanced Dispersion by Supercritical CO2

The supercritical CO₂-based technologies have been widely used in the formation of drug and/or polymer particles for biomedical applications. In this study, nanoparticles of poly-(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic anhydride) (PVM/MA) were successfully fabricated by a process of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO₂ (SEDS). A 2³ factorial experiment was designed to investigate and identify the significance of the processing parameters (concentration, flow and solvent/nonsolvent) for the surface morphology, particle size, and particle size distribution of the products. The effect of the concentration of PVM/MA was found to be dominant in the results regarding particle size. Decreasing the initial solution concentration of PVM/MA decreased the particle size significantly. After optimization, the resulting PVM/MA nanoparticles exhibited a good spherical shape, a smooth surface, and a narrow particle size distribution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra demonstrated that the chemical composition of PVM/MA was not altered during the SEDS process and that the SEDS process was therefore a typical physical process. The absolute value of zeta potential of the obtained PVM/MA nanoparticles was larger than 40 mV, indicating the samples’ stability in aqueous suspension. Analysis of thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) revealed that the effect of the SEDS process on the thermostability of PVM/MA was negligible. The results of gas chromatography (GC) analysis confirmed that the SEDS process could efficiently remove the organic residue.

Modeling of mixing acetone and water: how can their full miscibility be reproduced in computer simulations?

The free energy of mixing of acetone and water is calculated at 298 K by means of thermodynamic integration considering combinations of three acetone and six water potentials. The Anisotropic United Atom 4 (AUA4) and Transferable Potential for phase Equilibria (TraPPE) models of acetone are found not to be miscible with any of the six water models considered, although the free energy cost of the mixing of any of these model pairs is very small, being below the mean kinetic energy of the molecules along one degree of freedom of 0.5RT. On the other hand, the combination of the Pereyra, Asar, and Carignano (PAC) acetone and TIP5P-E water models turns out to be indeed fully miscible, and it is able to reproduce the change of the energy, entropy, and Helmholtz free energy of mixing of the two neat components very accurately (i.e., within 0.8 kJ/mol, 2.5 J/(mol K), and 0.3 kJ/mol, respectively) in the entire composition range. The obtained results also suggest that the PAC model of acetone is likely to be fully miscible with other water models, at least with SPC and TIP4P, as well.