In recent decades, 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol (BEPD) has been extensively evaluated as an efficient extractant for the recovery of boron from brine solutions commonly present in magnesium chloride. The BEPD leaked into the raffinate must be recovered in order to make the process of solvent extraction cost-efficient. The present study examined the feasibility of a commercialized coal-based activated carbon to recover BEPD from brine solutions. The salt-out effect on adsorption isotherms and kinetics of BEPD from brine solutions with salt concentrations up to 100 g/L were reported at different temperatures (20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C). It was found that the saturated adsorption capacities were significantly enhanced from 192 mg/g in the deionized water to 238 mg/g in the brine solution with an MgCl2 concentration of 100 g/L at 30 °C. Kinetic analysis indicated that the adsorption kinetics of BEPD followed the pseudo-second-order equation, and the pseudo-second rate constant (k2) affected by the varied salt concentrations complied with the following order: MgCl2 (100g/L) > MgCl2 (25g/L) ≈ CaCl2 (20g/L) > deionized water. Also, the benefit from the salt-out effect was also verified by the extended dynamic breakthrough volume as well as the amount adsorbed. The dynamic adsorption capacity was much higher in a saline water, i.e., 235 versus 191 mg/g in the deionized water. The Thomas model was further applied to predict the experimental breakthrough data, and the obtained model parameters could be useful for future process design. The activated carbon has the potential for practical adsorption applications for BEPD recovery from aqueous solutions.

•A hybrid boron-selective adsorbent with perfectly spherical morphology was reported.•The hybrid adsorbent shows exceptionally high boron uptake.•The adsorption capacity was enhanced as pH of aqueous solution increased.•The presence of Mg(II) cations is favorable to the boron uptake.Preparation of a novel hybrid boron-selective adsorbent with N-methyl-d-glucamine functional groups was reported. The adsorbent was synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization method based on chemistry of sol-gel reaction. The structure and morphology of the hybrid adsorbent were characterized by MS, FTIR, XPS, BET analysis and PXRD, etc. The perfectly spherical hybrid adsorbent exhibits exceptionally efficient adsorption of boric acid from the aqueous solution. The boron adsorption behavior on the adsorbent was investigated by varying the dosages of the adsorbent, pH, and competitive ions. The adsorption isotherm was in better accordance with the Langmuir model, exhibiting a theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of 2.02 mmol/g. The adsorption capacity peaks at pH ∼ 9 due to the vast formation of stable tetrahedral structure between dominant B(OH)4− and the adsorbent. The presence of Na+ ions has slight effect on boron adsorption while Mg2+ cations significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity because of the simultaneous adsorption attributed by Mg(OH)2.

A fluorinated metal–organic framework NOTT-108 with single pure-phase has been synthesized for the first time, which has enabled us to examine the effect of the substituted fluorine atoms on the methane storage. The activated NOTT-108a shows a permanent porosity comparable to its isoreticular NOTT-101a but exhibits a higher volumetric methane storage capacity of 247 cm3 (STP) cm–3 and a working capacity of 186 cm3 (STP) cm–3 (at 298 K and 65 bar) than 237 cm3 (STP) cm–3 and 181 cm3 (STP) cm–3 of NOTT-101a, attributed to the higher polarity/dipole moment of C–F bonds compared to that of C–H bonds for the enhanced electrostatic interaction with methane molecules.

Organic–inorganic hybrids incorporating cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (CDMPC)-functionalized silica particles can exhibit a high loading capacity with high loadings of the chiral selector. These materials offer considerable potential for use in preparative chiral separations. However, the preparation of these hybrid particles with high surface areas and controlled organic/inorganic ratios is challenging. We have found that by controlling the pH of sol–gel step and regulating the ratio of the inorganic precursor over CDMPC, unique functional hybrid particles could be prepared with optimum pore structure, novel interfacial features and excellent mechanical strength. The morphological features of these hybrid particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The organic content was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and pore structure determined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. These new hybrid particles exhibit excellent solvent durability, which is crucial for preparative chromatography. HPLC analysis of columns, packed with this material, confirmed solvent tolerance such as for chloroform, giving potential applications for large scale chromatographic separations.

A metal–organic framework immobilized with Ag(I) sites, namely, (Cr)-MIL-101-SO3Ag, was successfully developed as a highly efficient desulfurization adsorbent because of the strong binding of these Ag(I) sites for thiophene derivatives.

Introduction of Ag(I) ions into a sulfonic acid functionalized MOF ((Cr)-MIL-101-SO3H) significantly enhances its interactions with olefin double bonds, leading to its much higher selectivities for the separation of C2H4–C2H6 and C3H6–C3H8 at room temperature over the original (Cr)-MIL-101-SO3H and other adsorbents at room temperature.

Various amounts of Cu+ nanoparticles were successfully deposited to the pores of metal–organic frameworks MIL-101 with a double-solvent method. An optimized, cuprous-loaded MIL-101 was shown to have an enhanced ethylene adsorption capacity and higher ethylene–ethane selectivity (14.0), compared to pure MIL-101 (1.6). The great improvement in selectivity can be attributed to the newly generated nano-sized cuprous chloride particles that can selectively interact with the carbon–carbon double bond in ethylene through π-complexation.

Vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for binary mixture of sulfuryl chloride and 1,1,1-trifluorotrichloroethane at atmospheric pressure were measured with a double-phase circulation still. The experimental VLE data were correlated well with the Wilson, the nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL), and the universal quasichemical activity coefficient (UNIQUAC) models, respectively. From the correlation results, it is revealed that there is no azeotrope presented in the binary system. All of the experimental VLE data passed the thermodynamic consistency tests performed by the Herington and the Van Ness methods.

•Preparation and characterization of hybrid CDMPC-based CSP was reported.•End-capping treatment of original hybrid CDMPC-based spheres was proved crucial.•Resolution of chiral β-blockers on the prepared CSPs was achieved.A cellulose derivative-based chiral stationary phase (CSP) is considered one of the most widely applied CSPs due to its powerful enantioseparation ability. The high loading capacity and mechanical strength of CSPs are crucial for their application in preparative chromatography, such as a simulated moving bed. Compared to traditional cellulose-based CSPs that have been adsorbed onto chromatographic supports, organic–inorganic hybrid CSPs exhibit a potentially higher loading capacity and mechanical strength by increasing the density of chiral recognition groups. A hybrid cellulose 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate chiral stationary phase (organic/inorganic: 70/30, w/w) was prepared via a sol–gel method and characterized with several analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and 29Si cross polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (29Si CP/MAS NMR). In addition, the as-synthesized hybrid chiral silica spheres were treated with an end-capping process to mask the residual silica hydroxyl groups. Compared to a commercial Chiralpak IB column, better separation of β-blocker drugs, including pindolol (selectivity of 5.55), metoprolol (2.30), propranolol (1.96), bisoprolol (1.74) and atenolol (1.46), on the end-capped CSP was achieved using liquid chromatography, which suggests that the packing material synthesized in this work has sufficient chiral discriminating ability for the effective separation of β-blocker drugs.

A selective separation of vitamin D3 and tachysterol3 by solvent extraction with 7 organic solvents and 11 ionic liquids (ILs) has been reported. Among organic solvents sulfolane showed optimal extraction performance, giving only a selectivity of 1.44 for tachysterol3 over vitamin D3. ILs with unsaturated bonds demonstrated high selectivity probably due to their different π–π interactions with the two compounds. A pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid, for example, [BMPr][NTf2], provided the highest selectivity up to 1.77. Acceptable selectivity and distribution coefficients were observed by a combination of organic solvents and ILs as extracting agents. In this work, the effects of concentrations, anions, cations, and substituent of ILs were investigated, which may provide a rational strategy for the design of novel ILs for extractive separation of structural analogues. The purification and recovery of vitamin D3 via continuous multistage extractions were simulated, indicating that IL-based liquid–liquid extraction might be superior to traditional organic solvents in practical production.

The solubility of Vitamin D3 in methanol, ethanenitrile, ethyl ethanoate, ethanol, propan-2-one, and propan-1-ol was measured in the temperature range from (248.2 to 273.2) K by the static equilibrium method. The results revealed that the solubility of Vitamin D3 in solvents was observed to decrease in the order of propan-1-ol > ethanol > ethyl ethanoate > propan-2-one > methanol > ethanenitrile. The minimum mole fraction solubility of 7.61·10–5 was obtained in ethanenitrile at 248.2 K, while the maximum mole fraction solubility up to 0.193 was obtained in propan-1-ol at 273.2 K. Moreover, the solubility data were correlated with the simplified thermodynamic equation and the modified Apelblat equation, and the calculated solubility for all solvents above was in good agreement with the experimental data in the temperature range of interest.

Introduction of Ag(I) ions into a sulfonic acid functionalized MOF ((Cr)-MIL-101-SO3H) significantly enhances its interactions with olefin double bonds, leading to its much higher selectivities for the separation of C2H4–C2H6 and C3H6–C3H8 at room temperature over the original (Cr)-MIL-101-SO3H and other adsorbents at room temperature.

A metal–organic framework immobilized with Ag(I) sites, namely, (Cr)-MIL-101-SO3Ag, was successfully developed as a highly efficient desulfurization adsorbent because of the strong binding of these Ag(I) sites for thiophene derivatives.

Organic–inorganic hybrids incorporating cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (CDMPC)-functionalized silica particles can exhibit a high loading capacity with high loadings of the chiral selector. These materials offer considerable potential for use in preparative chiral separations. However, the preparation of these hybrid particles with high surface areas and controlled organic/inorganic ratios is challenging. We have found that by controlling the pH of sol–gel step and regulating the ratio of the inorganic precursor over CDMPC, unique functional hybrid particles could be prepared with optimum pore structure, novel interfacial features and excellent mechanical strength. The morphological features of these hybrid particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The organic content was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and pore structure determined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. These new hybrid particles exhibit excellent solvent durability, which is crucial for preparative chromatography. HPLC analysis of columns, packed with this material, confirmed solvent tolerance such as for chloroform, giving potential applications for large scale chromatographic separations.