Search Results (1,315)

Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted significant attention as green solvents for azeotrope separation via extractive distillation; however, the microscopic mechanism by which ILs eliminate azeotropic phenomena remains inadequately understood. This study employs a combination of spectroscopic methods and theoretical calculations to elucidate the mechanism by which 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide ([BMIM][NTf₂]) breaks the ethanol−acetonitrile azeotrope. Analysis of the hydroxyl stretching vibration region of ethanol indicates that the ethanol−acetonitrile cross-interaction is weaker than ethanol self-association, which is responsible for the minimum-boiling azeotrope. The addition of IL breaks the ethanol−acetonitrile azeotrope. The underlying mechanism is that the addition of the IL induces the formation of stronger interaction complexes between ethanol and the IL, which enhances the relative volatility of the azeotropic constituents and thereby enables azeotropic separation. This work provides a critical basis for elucidating the molecular mechanism responsible for the disruption of azeotropic phenomena by ILs. Full article

Phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) is widely used to passivate undercoordinated ionic defects and regulate the near-surface structure of inverted perovskite solar cells; however, the solvent used for PEAI deposition can also interact with the underlying perovskite and therefore determine the treatment outcome. Here, ethanol (EtOH), isopropanol (IPA), and n-butanol (n-BuOH) were compared as aliphatic alcohol solvents for the PEAI post-treatment of inverted p–i–n solar cells based on a mixed-cation, mixed-halide Cs_0.05(FA_0.95MA_0.05)_0.95Pb(I_0.95Br_0.05)₃ absorber. EtOH caused pronounced surface disturbance and substantially reduced device performance. IPA afforded the highest initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.92% but was accompanied by a stronger PbI₂ diffraction signal. In contrast, n-BuOH provided a milder treatment, producing a comparable PCE of 21.83%, a weaker PbI₂ signal, and the highest water contact angle. After dark storage in air at 25 °C and 25% relative humidity for 168 h, the unencapsulated n-BuOH-treated devices retained 82% of their initial PCE, compared with 77% for the Control. These results demonstrate that the PEAI processing solvent is an active component that governs the balance among defect passivation, surface reconstruction, initial efficiency, and short-term storage stability. Full article

The melamine-formaldehyde (MF) fiber is recognized as a high-performance flame-retardant material. In this study, the phase separation behavior of MF prepolymer (pre-MF) was investigated using ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents, with the aim of establishing a process for MF fiber spinning. The cloud point titration method, in conjunction with a turbidity correlation equation, was employed to construct the ternary phase diagram of the IL/pre-MF/coagulator system across the entire compositional range. The effects of IL type (molecular weight of pre-MF), coagulator species, and regeneration temperature on the phase separation behavior during MF fiber fabrication were systematically examined. Furthermore, MF fibers were prepared to evaluate the influence of coagulation bath conditions on fiber formation, curing behavior, and properties. The structure and morphology of the MF fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area; the results show that the type of coagulation bath leads to significant differences in the structure and properties of the fibers. Fibers coagulated in water exhibit a dense architecture; the resulting fibers possess favorable mechanical properties, including a tensile strength of 150 MPa and a limiting oxygen index of 37.5%. This study is expected to promote the development of MF fibers. Full article

Cu is central to electrification and low-carbon technologies, while declining ore grades and environmental pressures increase interest in recovery from secondary liquid resources. This review critically evaluates copper separation from mine-affected waters, copper-smelting waste acids, electroplating wastewaters, and secondary-material leachates. Cu is the principal target; co-occurring metals are treated as competitors or sequential recovery targets. Feed origin, Cu concentration and speciation, pH/free acidity, ionic strength, ligands, and polymetallic composition are related to process performance and product form. Conventional precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange, and electrowinning are compared with microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, supported liquid membranes, emulsion liquid membranes, and polymer inclusion membranes. High Cu removal or rejection does not by itself demonstrate Cu-selective recovery. MF and UF require conversion of dissolved Cu into retainable species; NF and RO mainly recover water and preconcentrate metals; ED becomes more selective with speciation control; and carrier-mediated membranes can fractionate metals but face stability constraints. Most membrane processes generate a Cu-rich retentate, concentrate, or stripping solution rather than metallic Cu and therefore require downstream crystallisation or electrowinning. Key gaps are long-term operation with variable industrial feeds, fouling and scaling control, mass balances and product-purity reporting, membrane/carrier durability, and consistent techno-economic validation. Full article

Ammonia (NH₃) is a valuable resource for agriculture and a promising carbon-neutral hydrogen carrier, but current industrial emissions result in excessive environmental/health impacts. Popular approaches to removal—such as acid/water scrubbing and ionic liquids—are limited due to solvent volatility, costly regeneration, secondary salt wastes, or costly synthesis. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) represent a sustainable and task-specific alternative, characterized by low vapor pressure and the capacity for straightforward, low-cost chemical customization. This review presents a digest of literature synthesis combining molecular design strategies, thermodynamic/atomistic mechanisms of absorption, process-scale modeling, and sensing applications for NH₃, together with a classification of key DES synthesis protocols, including protic, multiacid/weak acid, azole-based, non-halide, supramolecular host–guest, and metal-coordinated systems. These synthesis strategies are designed to optimize absorption capacity, selectivity for NH₃/CO₂, transfer efficiency, and ease of regeneration. Molecular dynamics simulations and spectroscopies have been examined to elucidate the overall mechanism of absorption for a two-phase system (specific H-bonding, followed by weak physical dissolution), which dominates within DESs using specific atomistic interactions (hydroxyl-, amino-, or ammonium-residue) and van der Waals forces. Emerging sensing methods of DES have been briefly investigated (microextraction techniques: AALLME, DLLME; mobile phone colorimetry; and chemoresistive sensors). This work highlights the need for closer alignment between the atomistic models and the design of the sensor. Full article

In livestock production, conventional nutrients and bioactive substances are susceptible to degradation during feed processing, storage, and gastrointestinal transit, resulting in low bioavailability and feed conversion efficiency. Targeted delivery technology, which utilizes carriers such as nanoparticles, microcapsules, and hydrogels, can protect these compounds from premature degradation, regulate their release kinetics, and achieve site-specific accumulation via various administration routes, including oral and injectable delivery. This paper introduces the main types of targeted delivery materials and their preparation methods: ionotropic gelation, emulsion solvent evaporation, and nanoprecipitation for nanoparticle fabrication; spray drying, orifice coagulation bath, ionic crosslinking, complex coacervation, and electrospinning for microcapsule production; and ionic crosslinking, gas shear-assisted ionic crosslinking, oil-in-water emulsion combined with calcium ion crosslinking, and enzymatic crosslinking for gel-based system synthesis. Evaluation methods are also described in detail, covering particle size and polydispersity index analysis, morphological characterization, in vitro simulated digestion, and in vivo fluorescence imaging. This paper reviews the applications of this technology in poultry, pigs, and ruminants, with emphasis on its roles in enhancing intestinal health, regulating immune responses, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, and improving growth performance and product quality, aiming to provide theoretical references for the rational design and application of targeted delivery systems in precision animal nutrition and sustainable livestock production. Full article

Urea (U), known as carbamide, is a cheap, ubiquitously available diamide widely used in the chemical industry. In the last two decades, this polar compound has become a component of novel green media: deep eutectic solvents (DESs), used, for example, as catalysts, solvents, modifiers, and plasticizers. Due to their physicochemical properties, they can replace molecular ionic liquids as a cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternative. Urea can be both a donor and an acceptor of hydrogen bonds, thus giving a wide range of possibilities for novel media design. Formation of H-bonding in eutectic mixtures has a lot of advantages compared to pure urea or conventional media, especially as a modifier for biopolymers. U-based DESs can be used as functional plasticizers for many abundant biopolymers like polysaccharides (especially starch, but also cellulose derivatives, agar, agarose, alginate, and chitosan) and proteins (e.g., gelatin), leading to the formation of their thermoplastic derivatives that could substitute some oil-based plastics in the future on an industrial scale. Full article

The global economy is confronted by two parallel grand challenges: the unsustainable accumulation of plastic waste and the escalating demand for high-performance, sustainable energy storage technologies. This perspective operates at the nexus of these challenges and establishes a conceptual roadmap for upcycling post-consumer plastics into functional battery components. In particular, the potential of four widely available waste polymers, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), is examined for the fabrication of nanofibrous separator membranes through electrospinning. The distinct physicochemical characteristics of these polymers are analyzed in relation to key separator requirements, including porosity, electrolyte wettability, thermal stability, and ionic transport. Because studies employing waste-derived polymers remain limited, relevant research based on commercial polymers and alternative membrane fabrication approaches is also discussed to provide broader insight into structure-property-performance relationships. Environmental aspects related to recycling pathways, solvent systems, and life cycle considerations are also evaluated. Finally, major challenges such as feedstock variability, limited electrochemical validation, and scale-up limitations are identified, and future research directions are proposed. By integrating plastic waste upcycling with separator engineering, this perspective outlines a pathway toward circular and sustainable materials for next-generation energy storage systems. Full article

Sodium metal anodes (SMAs) are regarded as the most promising anode materials for next-generation high-energy-density sodium metal batteries, owing to their ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity (1166 mAh g⁻¹) and low electrochemical potential (−2.71 V vs. SHEs). However, their practical application is severely hindered by a series of interrelated challenges, including unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films, severe volume fluctuations arising from their hostless nature, uncontrollable dendrite growth, and the consequent low Coulombic efficiency and short cycle life. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in stabilizing SMAs through three major categories of strategies: current collector engineering, which involves the design of planar, three-dimensional, and gradient architectures to regulate the local current density and Na⁺ flux, thereby guiding uniform nucleation and enabling “bottom-up” dendrite-free deposition; electrolyte engineering, which focuses on optimizing solvents, salts, and functional additives to tailor the solvation structure, construct robust inorganic-rich SEI layers, and utilize electrostatic shielding effects to suppress dendrite formation; and artificial SEI engineering, which aims to pre-construct inorganic or inorganic–organic hybrid protective layers that establish a physicochemical barrier between the electrode and electrolyte, combining high ionic conductivity, superior mechanical strength, and sufficient flexibility. Finally, we provide a critical perspective on the remaining challenges and outline future research directions, emphasizing the importance of in situ/operando characterization, synergistic multi-strategy integration, breakthroughs in high areal capacity and high-rate performance, and artificial intelligence-driven material discovery for the practical implementation of SMAs. Full article

Bioactive polysaccharides (e.g., fucoidan, β-glucans, and medicinal plant polysaccharides) contain functional groups that interact with drug molecules, and some also retain their own biological activities. Through reversible noncovalent interactions, they can associate with small-molecule drugs and form supramolecular nanocomplexes, defined here as nanoscale assemblies in which the polysaccharide is a main structural component and its association with the drug contributes to assembly or drug retention. Multicomponent composites and bulk local matrices are discussed separately as related or extended systems. The review covers hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic association, electrostatic complexation, π–π stacking, and the cooperation among these interactions, together with the effects of pH, ionic strength, concentration, and solvent composition. Nanoprecipitation/solvent exchange, polyelectrolyte complexation, direct aqueous self-assembly, and microfluidic-assisted assembly are compared with respect to nanostructure formation, process control, and reproducibility. Molecular, colloidal, solid-state, and computational evidence is examined together when interpreting structure–assembly–performance relationships. Reported advantages include improved drug dispersibility, colloidal stability, release control, bioavailability, cellular uptake, biodistribution, and safety. In some systems, the polysaccharide itself may also contribute to therapeutic effects in tumors, inflammatory diseases, and wound healing. Related local-matrix systems are considered separately. Further development of these nanocomplexes will require better quantitative analysis of assembly mechanisms, more consistent polysaccharide characterization, careful biocompatibility assessment, scalable preparation, and longer-term safety evaluation. Full article

This study characterizes the genomic identity, functional efficacy, and computational biophysics of FNL62-AMP, a novel antimicrobial peptide isolated from a phylogenomically distinct, newly identified Brevibacillus species. Production kinetics revealed a late-exponential phase onset of antibacterial activity with sustained potency against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). LC-MS/MS analysis identified the peptide sequence as NH₂-LLLLFR-COOH. FNL62-AMP demonstrated excellent formulation resilience, retaining full anti-MRSA activity under high thermal stress (80 °C for 6 h) and showing robust resistance to generic trypsin and proteinase K proteolysis. Formulative co-incubation assays demonstrated charge-dependent compatibility, where nonionic Triton X-100 preserved baseline efficacy while ionic surfactants induced antagonism. In vitro time-kill kinetics, scanning electron microscopy, and SYTOX Green assays confirmed rapid, concentration-dependent bactericidal action driven by immediate membrane permeabilization. Molecular dynamics simulations successfully captured the spontaneous self-assembly of 64 FNL62-AMP monomers into a stable macro-aggregate. This consolidation process was quantitatively characterized by a simultaneous contraction in the radius of gyration (R_g), a sharp drop in solvent-accessible surface area (SASA), and a transitional plateau in mean squared displacement (MSD). Ultimately, the high thermal stability, structural resilience, and predictable surfactant compatibility of FNL62-AMP propose ways to be developed for lead optimization and druggability. Full article

Water-based perovskite solar cells (W-PSCs) provide a promising route toward reducing the use of hazardous organic solvents during perovskite fabrication. However, their development remains limited by sluggish precursor conversion, incomplete phase transformation, and poor control over film morphology. This review summarizes recent progress in W-PSCs, with particular emphasis on aqueous lead precursors and the subsequent conversion from precursor films to perovskite absorbers. The selection criteria for aqueous lead sources are first discussed in terms of water solubility, anion-Pb²⁺ interactions, precursor-solution stability, and ion-exchange behavior. Thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, including nucleation, crystal growth, reaction–diffusion coupling, and ion transport, are then discussed to provide a framework for understanding the conversion of aqueous precursor films into perovskites. Strategies for improving film formation are further classified into precursor-film and substrate engineering, conversion-process regulation, and ionic/compositional engineering. Particular attention is given to the role of precursor-film microstructure in regulating organic ammonium salt transport and conversion completeness. The photovoltaic performance of regular and inverted W-PSCs is subsequently compared, and the possible origins of their performance differences are discussed from the perspectives of precursor-film formation, perovskite conversion, film morphology, and interfacial properties. Finally, future opportunities in substrate-interface regulation, scalable aqueous processing, precursor and additive design, and life-cycle assessment are outlined. This review provides a reaction-diffusion-based perspective for understanding and improving water-based perovskite photovoltaics. Full article

Core–corona polymer microsphere-immobilized MacMillan catalysts were synthesized via ionic immobilization of a MacMillan catalyst precursor onto core–corona polymer microspheres bearing sulfonic acid moieties in their side chains. The resulting heterogeneous catalysts were applied to the asymmetric Diels–Alder reaction between trans-cinnamaldehyde and 1,3-cyclopentadiene under continuous-flow conditions. The effects of solvent, flow rate, substrate concentration, core particle size, and corona chain length on catalytic performance were systematically investigated. High enantioselectivities of 92% ee for the exo isomer and 95% ee for the endo isomer were achieved using the catalyst with the optimized structure under optimized conditions. Furthermore, the durability and substrate scope of the catalyst were evaluated in continuous-flow reactions, demonstrating its high stability and practical applicability. Full article

Fluorescein-based tracers like uranine are extensively used in hydrogeology, textile marking, and cosmetics, yet their discharge generates dilute wastewater streams that challenge conventional treatment due to low removal efficiency and high operational costs. This study evaluates the sorption potential of polyelectrolyte microcapsules (PMCs) fabricated via a green, aqueous layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly on sacrificial CaCO₃ templates for uranine decontamination. The PMCs achieve rapid equilibrium within ≤5 min, with kinetics governed by the pseudo-second-order model and equilibrium data described by the Langmuir isotherm, yielding a maximum capacity of 12.1 mg/g. Sorption is highly efficient at neutral to mildly acidic pH (3.0–7.0) and low ionic strength (≤0.15 M NaCl), providing 98–100% removal from dilute streams (C₀ ≤ 10 mg/L) and consistently reducing effluent concentrations to <0.05 mg/L. Saturated capsules exhibit low spontaneous dye release (≤10%) in deionized water under the tested conditions. Although limited regenerability precludes multi-cycle industrial use, the rapid sorption kinetics and high uranine removal efficiency make PMCs well suited for single-use polishing applications. By offering a scalable, solvent-free synthesis and targeted removal of emerging fluorescent pollutants from low-concentration effluents, this work presents a sustainable, low-energy alternative for advanced wastewater treatment, aligning with green chemical engineering and circular water management principles. Full article

In the present work, we report the sustainable regioselective synthesis of a novel series of 1,2,3-triazole-based hybrid molecules containing isatins and 1,4-dihydropyridines by Copper(I)-catalyzed Azide-Alkyne 1,3-dipolar Cycloaddition (CuAAC). Our synthetic strategy provides mild reaction conditions, high reaction yields, a simple recovery procedure, and a reusable catalytic system based on an environmentally benign solvent mixture of ionic liquid/water. The latter was recovered together with the Cu(I) catalyst generated in situ and Na-ascorbate and reused up to six times, maintaining high efficacy in terms of regioselectivity and reaction yields. Finally, a mechanism of the reaction was proposed, involving the key role of IL. Full article