Deep eutectic solvents for separation and purification applications in critical metal metallurgy:Recent advances and perspectives

Solvent extraction,a separation and purification technology,is crucial in critical metal metallurgy.Organic solvents commonly used in solvent extraction exhibit disadvantages,such as high volatility,high toxicity,and flammability,causing a spectrum of hazards to human health and environmental safety.Neoteric solvents have been recognized as potential alternatives to these harmful organic solvents.In the past two decades,several neoteric solvents have been proposed,including ionic liquids(ILs)and deep eutectic solvents(DESs).DESs have gradually become the focus of green solvents owing to several advantages,namely,low toxicity,degradability,and low cost.In this critical review,their classification,formation mechanisms,preparation methods,characterization technologies,and special physicochemical properties based on the most recent advancements in research have been systematically described.Subsequently,the major separation and purification applications of DESs in critical metal metallurgy were comprehensively summarized.Finally,future opportunities and challenges of DESs were explored in the current research area.In conclusion,this review provides valuable insights for improving our overall understanding of DESs,and it holds important potential for expanding separation and purification applications in critical metal metallurgy.

Two-dimensional material separation membranes for renewable energy purification, storage, and conversion

The current energy crisis has prompted the development of new energy sources and energy storage/conversion devices. Membranes, as the key component, not only provide enormous separation potential for energy purification but also guarantee stable and high-efficiency operation for rechargeable batteries and fuel cells. Remarkably, two-dimensional(2D) material separation membranes have attracted intense attention on their excellent performance in energy field applications, owing to high mechanical/chemical stability, low mass transport resistance, strict sizeexclusion, and abundant modifiable functional groups. In this review, we concentrate on the recent progress of 2D membrane and introduce 2D membranes based on graphene oxide(GO), MXenes, 2D MOFs, 2D COFs, and 2D zeolite nanosheets, which are applied in membrane separation(H2 collection and biofuel purification) and battery separators(vanadium flow battery, Li–S battery, and fuel cell). The mass transport mechanism, selectivity mechanism, and modification methods of these 2D membranes are stated in brief, mainly focusing on interlayer dominant membranes(GO and MXenes) and pore dominant membranes(MOFs, COFs, and zeolite nanosheets). In conclusion, we highlight the challenges and outlooks of applying 2D membranes in energy fields.

A Lagrangian criterion of unsteady flow separation for two-dimensional periodic flows

The present paper proposes a Lagrangian criterion of unsteady flow separation for two-dimensional periodic flows based on the principle of weighted averaging zero skin-friction given by Haller （HALLER, G. Exact theory of unsteady separation for two-dimensional flows. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 512, 257-311 （2004））. By analyzing the distribution of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent （FTLE） along the no-slip wall, it can be found that the periodic separation takes place at the point of the zero FTLE. This new criterion is verified with an analytical solution of the separation bubble and a numerical simulation of lid-driven cavity flows.

USING TWO-DIMENSIONAL TIME RESOLVED LIGHT SCATTERING TO STUDY THE CURE REACTION INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION PROCESS OF EPOXY-AMINE-POLYETHERSULFONE BLEND WITH SECONDARY PHASE SEPARATION

The generalized two-dimensional correlation analysis based on time-resolved light scattering patterns （2D TRLS） has been employed to study the phase separation process of an epoxy-amine-polyethersulfone blend in which the secondary phase separation takes place. The results of the 2D TRLS provided more detailed information that was not readily observed in the 1D TRLS patterns. （i） During the first process of phase separation, the sequential order of coarsening in size of the domains among the larger and smaller ones has been reversed between the diffusion regime and the hydrodynamic regime. （ii） The change of the larger domains in size, due to the hydrodynamic flow in the late stage of the first phase separation process, keeps on taking place earlier than that of the new domains appeared in the secondary phase separation process. （iii） During the secondary phase separation process the size growth of the smaller domains takes place earlier than that of the larger ones, probably due to the assumption that the coarsening mode could decrease the interface tension more quickly.

Two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride for membrane separation

Recent years,membrane separation technology has attracted significant research attention because of the efficient and environmentally friendly operation.The selection of suitable materials to improve the membrane selectivity,permeability and other properties has become a topic of vital research relevance.Two-dimensional(2D)materials,a novel family of multifunctional materials,are widely used in membrane separation due to their unique structure and properties.In this respect,as a novel 2D material,graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))have found specific attention in membrane separation.This study reviews the application of carbon nitride in gas separation membranes,pervaporation membranes,nanofiltration membranes,reverse osmosis membranes,ion exchange membranes and catalytic membranes,along with describing the separation mechanisms.

Molecular simulation of penetration separation for ethanol/water mixtures using two-dimensional nanoweb graphynes

Graphyne is expected to be a new-class of highly-efficient sieving membranes due to its controllable uniform pore structure and ultrathin single-atom thickness. Herein, we computationally investigate the permeation performance of liquid ethanol–water mixtures across polyporous two-dimensional γ-graphyne sheets. It was found that, in the mixture, ethanol with larger molecular diameter permeates faster through the graphyne pores than water. The simulations demonstrate that pristine graphynes could act as highly-efficient ethanol-permselective membranes for separation of ethanol–water mixtures, with ethanol permeability remarkably higher than conventional membranes. This separation mechanism is distinctly different from the molecular-size dependent sieving process. The stronger hydrophobic interfacial affinity between graphyne and ethanol makes ethanol molecules preferentially adsorb on graphyne surface and selectively penetrate through graphyne pores. This penetration mechanism provides new understanding of molecular transport through atomically thick two-dimensional nanoporous membranes and this work is expected to be valuable in the potential development of highly-efficient membranes for liquid-phase mixture separation.

Offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry enabling fourdimensional separation and characterization of the multicomponents from white ginseng and red ginseng

Inherent complexity of plant metabolites necessitates the use of multi-dimensional information to accomplish comprehensive profiling and confirmative identification.A dimension-enhanced strategy,by offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography/ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(2 D-LC/IM-QTOF-MS)enabling four-dimensional separations(2 D-LC,IM,and MS),is proposed.In combination with in-house database-driven automated peak annotation,this strategy was utilized to characterize ginsenosides simultaneously from white ginseng(WG)and red ginseng(RG).An offline 2 DLC system configuring an Xbridge Amide column and an HSS T3 column showed orthogonality 0.76 in the resolution of ginsenosides.Ginsenoside analysis was performed by data-independent high-definition MSE(HDMSE)in the negative ESI mode on a Vion?IMS-QTOF hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometer,which could better resolve ginsenosides than MSEand directly give the CCS information.An in-house ginsenoside database recording 504 known ginsenosides and 58 reference compounds,was established to assist the identification of ginsenosides.Streamlined workflows,by applying UNIFI?to automatedly annotate the HDMSEdata,were proposed.We could separate and characterize 323 ginsenosides(including 286 from WG and 306 from RG),and 125 thereof may have not been isolated from the Panax genus.The established 2 D-LC/IM-QTOF-HDMSEapproach could also act as a magnifier to probe differentiated components between WG and RG.Compared with conventional approaches,this dimensionenhanced strategy could better resolve coeluting herbal components and more efficiently,more reliably identify the multicomponents,which,we believe,offers more possibilities for the systematic exposure and confirmative identification of plant metabolites.

Growth Dynamics of Phase Separation for Two-dimensional Binary Fluid

The dynamics of phase separation in two-dimensional binary fluid with low-middle densities was investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The spinodal decomposition region for symmetric systems may be divided into the diffusive and kinematic region. At an elevated temperature, the motion of particles is diffusive. At a middle temperature, the kinematic mechanism takes effect on the systems with middle density, and the diffusive mechanism holds only for the dilute system. At a low temperature, the phase separation obeys the kinematic mechanism in a wide range of density. For asymmetric systems, the growth of particles A (majority) is different from that of particles B (minority). The diffusive and kinematic regions for the majority are similar to those of symmetric system. The growth exponent for the minority is related to its absolute density and temperature because of its small density.

Role of tannin pretreatment in flotation separation of magnesite and dolomite

Flotation separation of magnesite and its calcium-containing carbonate minerals is a difficult problem.Recently,new regulat-ors have been proposed for magnesite flotation decalcification,although traditional regulators such as tannin,water glass,sodium carbon-ate,and sodium hexametaphosphate are more widely used in industry.However,they are rarely used as the main regulators in research because they perform poorly in magnesite and dolomite single-mineral flotation tests.Inspired by the limonite presedimentation method and the addition of a regulator to magnesite slurry mixing,we used a tannin pretreatment method for separating magnesite and dolomite.Microflotation experiments confirmed that the tannin pretreatment method selectively and largely reduces the flotation recovery rate of dolomite without affecting the flotation recovery rate of magnesite.Moreover,the contact angles of the tannin-pretreated magnesite and dolomite increased and decreased,respectively,in the presence of NaOl.Zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared analyses showed that the tannin pretreatment method efficiently hinders NaOl adsorption on the dolomite surface but does not affect NaOl adsorption on the magnesite surface.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations confirmed that tannin interacts more strongly with dolomite than with magnesite.

Direct capture and separation of CO_(2) from air

Direct air capture(DAC)has attracted increasing interest and investment over the past few years.There are a fast-growing number of companies that entered the field and demonstrated DAC carbon removal setups and potential.However,current DAC methods are still based on solid absorbents or alkali solutions approaches which have low capture efficiency and low energy efficiency.This highlight proposed a promising CO_(2) capture technology,an electric energy driven closed-loop system for the direct removal of CO_(2) from ambient air which are based on two individual technologies:Polyam-N-Cu hybrid system promoted CO_(2) capture with ocean as anthropogenic CO_(2) sink and a chloride-mediated electrochemical pH swing system to remove CO_(2) from oceanwater.

Boosting MA-based two-dimensional Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite solar cells by incorporating a binary spacer

Two-dimensional Ruddlesden-Popper(2DRP)perovskite exhibits excellent stability in perovskite solar cells(PSCs)due to introducing hydrophobic long-chain organic spacers.However,the poor charge transporting property of bulky organic cation spacers limits the performance of 2DRP PSCs.Inspired by the Asite cation alloying strategy in 3D perovskites,2DRP perovskites with a binary spacer can promote charge transporting compared to the unary spacer counterparts.Herein,the superior MA-based 2DRP perovskite films with a binary spacer,including 3-guanidinopropanoic acid(GPA)and 4-fluorophenethylamine(FPEA)are realized.These films(GPA_(0.85)FPEA_(0.15))_(2)MA_(4)Pb_5I_(16)show good morphology,large grain size,decreased trap state density,and preferential orientation of the as-prepared film.Accordingly,the present 2DRP-based PSC with the binary spacer achieves a remarkable efficiency of 18.37%with a V_(OC)of1.15 V,a J_(SC)of 20.13 mA cm^(-2),and an FF of 79.23%.To our knowledge,the PCE value should be the highest for binary spacer MA-based 2DRP(n≤5)PSCs to date.Importantly,owing to the hydrophobic fluorine group of FPEA and the enhanced interlayer interaction by FPEA,the unencapsulated 2DRP PSCs based on binary spacers exhibit much excellent humidity stability and thermal stability than the unary spacer counterparts.

Phase separation and transcriptional regulation in cancer development

Liquid-liquid phase separation,a novel biochemical phenomenon,has been increasingly studied for its medical applications.It underlies the formation of membrane-less organelles and is involved in many cellular and biological processes.During transcriptional regulation,dynamic condensates are formed through interactions between transcriptional elements,such as transcription factors,coactivators,and mediators.Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation,but the precise mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis often remain to be elucidated.Emerging evidence has linked abnormal transcriptional condensates to several diseases,especially cancer,implying that phase separation plays an important role in tumorigenesis.Condensates formed by phase separation may have an effect on gene transcription in tumors.In the present review,we focus on the correlation between phase separation and transcriptional regulation,as well as how this phenomenon contributes to cancer development.

Two-Dimensional Perovskite Single Crystals for High-Performance X-ray Imaging and Exploring MeV X-ray Detection

Scintillation semiconductors play increasingly important medical diagnosis and industrial inspection roles.Recently,two-dimensional(2D)perovskites have been shown to be promising materials for medical X-ray imaging,but they are mostly used in low-energy(≤130 keV)regions.Direct detection of MeV X-rays,which ensure thorough penetration of the thick shell walls of containers,trucks,and aircraft,is also highly desired in practical industrial applications.Unfortunately,scintillation semiconductors for high-energy X-ray detection are currently scarce.Here,This paper reports a 2D(C_(4)H_(9)NH_(3))_(2)PbBr_(4)single crystal with outstanding sensitivity and stability toward X-ray radiation that provides an ultra-wide detectable X-ray range of between 8.20 nGy_(air)s^(-1)(50 keV)and 15.24 mGy_(air)s^(-1)(9 MeV).The(C_(4)H_(9)NH_(3))_(2)PbBr_(4)single-crystal detector with a vertical structure is used for high-performance X-ray imaging,delivering a good spatial resolution of 4.3 Ip mm^(-1)in a plane-scan imaging system.Low ionic migration in the 2D perovskite enables the vertical device to be operated with hundreds of keV to MeV X-ray radiation at high bias voltages,leading to a sensitivity of 46.90μC Gy_(air)-1 cm^(-2)(-1.16 Vμm^(-1))with 9 MeV X-ray radiation,demonstrating that 2D perovskites have enormous potential for high-energy industrial applications.

Advances in depressants for flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity:A critical review

The flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity can be achieved using selective depressants.In the flotation system of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals,depressants usually preferentially interact with the pyrite surface to render the mineral surface hydrophilic and hinder the adsorption of the collector.This review summarizes the advances in depressants for the flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity.These advances include use of inorganic depressants (oxidants and sulfur–oxygen compounds),natural polysaccharides (starch,dextrin,konjac glucomannan,and galactomannan),modified polymers (carboxymethyl cellulose,polyacrylamide,lignosulfonate,and tricarboxylate sodium starch),organic acids (polyglutamic acid,sodium humate,tannic acid,pyrogallic acid,salicylic acid,and lactic acid),sodium dimethyl dithiocarbamate,and diethylenetriamine.The potential application of specific inorganic and organic depressants in the flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity is reviewed.The advances in the use of organic depressants with respect to the flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals are comprehensively detailed.Additionally,the depression performances and mechanisms of different types of organic depressants on mineral surfaces are summarized.Finally,several perspectives on depressants vis-à-vis flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity are proposed.

Recent progress in ternary mixed matrix membranes for CO_(2) separation

Mixed matrix membranes(MMMs)could combine the advantages of both polymeric membranes and porousfillers,making them an effective alternative to conventional polymer membranes.However,interfacial incompatibility issues,such as the presence of interfacial voids,hardening of polymer chains,and blockage of micropores by polymers between common MMMsfillers and the polymer matrix,currently limit the gas sep-aration performance of MMMs.Ternary phase MMMs(consisting of afiller,an additive,and a matrix)made by adding a third compound,usually functionalized additives,can overcome the structural problems of binary phase MMMs and positively impact membrane separation performance.This review introduces the structure and fabrication processes for ternary MMMs,categorizes various nanofillers and the third component,and summarizes and analyzes in detail the CO_(2) separation performance of newly developed ternary MMMs based on both rubbery and glassy polymers.Based on this separation data,the challenges of ternary MMMs are also discussed.Finally,future directions for ternary MMMs are proposed.

Progress on two-dimensional ferrovalley materials

The electron's charge and spin degrees of freedom are at the core of modern electronic devices. With the in-depth investigation of two-dimensional materials, another degree of freedom, valley, has also attracted tremendous research interest. The intrinsic spontaneous valley polarization in two-dimensional magnetic systems, ferrovalley material, provides convenience for detecting and modulating the valley. In this review, we first introduce the development of valleytronics.Then, the valley polarization forms by the p-, d-, and f-orbit that are discussed. Following, we discuss the investigation progress of modulating the valley polarization of two-dimensional ferrovalley materials by multiple physical fields, such as electric, stacking mode, strain, and interface. Finally, we look forward to the future developments of valleytronics.

The flow behavior of droplet adsorption on a liquid-liquid interface accompanied by cross-linking reaction and phase separation in a microchannel

The adsorption process of droplets on the liquid-liquid interface and phase separation process can regulate the spatial distribution of the fluid system,which are crucial for chemical engineering.However,the cross-linking reaction,which is widely used in the field of polymers,can change the physical properties of the fluids and affect the flow behavior accordingly.A configuration of microchannels is designed to conveniently generate uniform droplets in one phase of the parallel flow.The flow behavior of the adsorption process of sodium alginate droplets on the liquid-liquid interface is investigated,and the subsequent process of phase separation is studied.In the process of droplet adsorption,the crosslinking reaction occurs synchronously,which makes the droplet viscosity and the elasticity modules of the droplet surface increase,thus affecting the dynamics of the adsorption process and the equilibrium shape of the droplet.The variation of the adsorption length with time is divided into three stages,which all conform to power law relationship.The exponents of the second and third stages deviate from the results of the Tanner's law.The flow pattern maps of droplet adsorption and phase separation are drawn,and the operating ranges of complete adsorption and complete separation are provided.This study provides a theoretical basis for further studying the flow behavior of droplets with cross-linking reaction in a microchannel.

Environmental,economic and exergy analysis of separation of ternary azeotrope by variable pressure extractive distillation based on multi-objective optimization

In this work,the ternary azeotrope of tert-butyl alcohol/ethyl acetate/water is separated by extractive distillation(ED)to recover the available constituents and protect the environment.Based on the conductor like shielding model and relative volatility method,ethylene glycol was selected as the extractant in the separation process.In addition,in view of the characteristic that the relative volatility between components changes with pressure,the multi-objective optimization method based on nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II optimizes the pressure and the amount of solvent cooperatively to avoid falling into the optimal local solution.Based on the optimal process parameters,the proposed heat-integrated process can reduce the gas emissions by 29.30%.The heat-integrated ED,further coupled with the pervaporation process,can reduce gas emission by 42.36%and has the highest exergy efficiency of 47.56%.In addition,based on the heat-integrated process,the proposed two heat pump assisted heat-integrated ED processes show good economic and environmental performance.The double heat pump assisted heat-integrated ED can reduce the total annual cost by 28.78%and the gas emissions by 55.83%compared with the basis process,which has a good application prospect.This work provides a feasible approach for the separation of ternary azeotropes.

Flotation separation of scheelite from calcite using luteolin as a novel depressant

This paper proposes luteolin(LUT)as a novel depressant for the flotation-based separation of scheelite and calcite in a sodium oleate(NaOL)system.The suitability of LUT as a calcite depressant is confirmed through micro-flotation testing.At pH=9,with LUT concentration of 50 mg·L^(-1) and NaOL concentration of 50 mg·L^(-1),scheelite recovery reaches 80.3%.Calcite,on the other hand,exhibits a recovery rate of 17.6%,indicating a significant difference in floatability between the two minerals.Subsequently,the surface modifica-tions of scheelite and calcite following LUT treatment are characterized using adsorption capacity testing,Zeta potential analysis,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),and atomic force microscopy(AFM).The study in-vestigates the selective depressant mechanism of LUT on calcite.Adsorption capacity testing and Zeta potential analysis demonstrate sub-stantial absorption of LUT on the surface of calcite,impeding the further adsorption of sodium oleate,while its impact on scheelite is min-imal.FT-IR and XPS analyses reveal the selective adsorption of LUT onto the surface of calcite,forming strong chemisorption bonds between the hydroxyl group and calcium ions present.AFM directly illustrates the distinct adsorption densities of LUT on the two miner-al types.Consequently,LUT can effectively serve as a depressant for calcite,enabling the successful separation of scheelite and calcite.

Recent advances in two-dimensional photovoltaic devices

Two-dimensional(2D)materials have attracted tremendous interest in view of the outstanding optoelectronic properties,showing new possibilities for future photovoltaic devices toward high performance,high specific power and flexibility.In recent years,substantial works have focused on 2D photovoltaic devices,and great progress has been achieved.Here,we present the review of recent advances in 2D photovoltaic devices,focusing on 2D-material-based Schottky junctions,homojunctions,2D−2D heterojunctions,2D−3D heterojunctions,and bulk photovoltaic effect devices.Furthermore,advanced strategies for improving the photovoltaic performances are demonstrated in detail.Finally,conclusions and outlooks are delivered,providing a guideline for the further development of 2D photovoltaic devices.