Efficient Enrichment Research Articles

Dielectric barrier discharge induced Oxid-Ti3C2Tx/UIO-66-NH2 composites for efficient phosphopeptides enrichment

Enrichment of phosphopeptides is a crucial step in phosphoproteomics study. At present, combination of multiple affinity chromatography is regard as an efficient phosphopeptide enrichment strategy. Therefore, designing and preparing composites with multiple affinity sites is of great significance. Herein, the Oxid-Ti3C2Tx/UIO-66-NH2 composites with multiple affinity sites are rapidly synthesized by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) technology at low temperature and atmospheric pressure. The in-situ nucleation of UIO-66-NH2 and TiO2 can be flexibly regulated through the feed ratio of MOF precursors and the DBD duration individually. The UIO-66-NH2 has large specific surface area, high porosity and plentiful Zr-O clusters. Oxid-Ti3C2Tx provides abundant exposed Ti sites and Ti-O clusters. Based on these, Oxid-Ti3C2Tx/UIO-66-NH2 composites exhibited high sensitivity (0.1 fmol μL−1), satisfactory selectivity (BSA: α-casein = 100: 1, molar ratio) and superior repeatability for phosphopeptide enrichment. In addition, the composites performed well in biological samples like nonfat milk (24 phosphopeptides), human saliva (15 endogenous phosphopeptides) and human serum (all 4 endogenous phosphopeptides), demonstrating a huge application potential in phosphoproteomics study. More importantly, this study opens a new path to synthesize MXene/MOF composites with controllable oxidation degree and flexible compositions regulation efficiently, revealing its broad application prospects in various fields.

Synthesis of amphiphilic magnetic nanoparticles for highly efficient enrichment of steroid hormones in aquatic environment

Synthesis of amphiphilic magnetic nanoparticles for highly efficient enrichment of steroid hormones in aquatic environment

Human Dendritic Cell Enrichment and Their Activation of T Cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) enable the immune system to mount and modulate precisely targeted responses to various threats across the organism by bridging innate and adaptive immunity. Historically, DCs have been classified as conventional (cDC) and plasmacytoid (pDC). More recently, cDCs were acknowledged as a heterogenous population composed of several subsets. Examining the functional diversity of cDCs in healthy homeostasis and pathology requires a robust experimental pipeline, beginning with an efficient enrichment protocol in preparation for cell sorting. Unfortunately, several commercial DC enrichment kits were developed before the discovery of the more recently described DC populations. Here, we detail two approaches to enrich human blood DCs or certain DC subsets and an in vitro protocol to examine DC stimulation of naïve T cells. The methods employed here overcome many hurdles encountered while enriching human DC subsets. Basic Protocol 1 describes a method that will enrich pDC, Axl Siglec6-DC (AS-DC), cDC1, DC2, DC3, monocytes, and human HLA+ cells by crosslinking unwanted cells to erythrocytes. Basic Protocol 2 describes the enrichment of pDC, AS-DC, cDC1, and DC2 but not DC3 via a highly efficient negative magnetic selection that is valuable in circumstances where DC3 is not required. Finally, Basic Protocol 3 describes a conventional protocol to perform a Mixed leucocyte Reaction (MLR) following the isolation of these DC subsets. These methods detail the advantages and pitfalls when isolating a heterogeneous population of cells. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Human peripheral mononuclear phagocyte enrichment Basic Protocol 2: DC enrichment of pDC, cDC1, AS-DC, and DC2 but not DC3 Basic Protocol 3: Basic mixed lymphocyte reaction protocol with sorted human DC subsets.

Pneumatically Driven Microfluidic Platform and Fully Automated Particle Concentration System for the Capture and Enrichment of Pathogens.

In this study, we developed a pneumatically driven microfluidic platform (PDMFP) operated by a fully automated particle concentration system (FAPCS) for the pretreatment of micro- and nano-sized materials. The proposed PDMFP comprises a 3D network with a curved fluidic chamber and channel, five on/off pneumatic valves for blocking fluid flow, and a sieve valve for sequential trapping of microbeads and target particles. Using this setup, concentrated targets are automatically released into an outlet port. The FAPCS mainly comprises solenoid valves, glass reservoirs, a regulator, pressure sensor, main printed circuit board, and liquid crystal display touch panel. All pneumatic valves in the microfluidic platform as well as the working fluids in the glass reservoirs are controlled using FAPCS. The flow rate of the working fluids is measured to demonstrate the sequential programed operation of the proposed pretreatment process using FAPCS. In our study, we successfully achieved rapid and efficient enrichment using PDMFP-FAPCS with fluorescence-labeled Escherichia coli. With pretreatment-10 min for the microbead concentration and 25 min for target binding-almost all the target bacteria could be captured. A total of 526 Gram-negative bacteria were attached to 82 beads, whereas Gram-positive bacteria were attached to only 2 of the 100 beads. Finally, we evaluated the PDMFP-FAPCS for SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD)-based outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) (RBD-OMVs). Specific probes involved in PDMFP-FAPCS successfully isolated RBD-OMVs. Thus, PDMFP-FAPCS exhibits excellent enrichment of particles, including microbes and nanovesicles, and is an effective pretreatment platform for disease diagnosis and investigation.

Metal-phenolic networks modified two-dimensional magnetic MXene-based composites for highly efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides

Efficient and specific enrichment of phosphopeptides is a precondition for the research of phosphoproteomics-related processes, while the development of more superior affinity materials remains a long-term challenge. In this work, Zr-tannic acid metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) modified magnetic composites based on two-dimensional MXene substrates, denoted as Ti3C2Tx@Fe3O4@MPNs-TA/ZrIV, were facilely prepared and innovatively applied for phosphopeptides enrichment. By virtue of large specific surface, excellent magnetic responsiveness, and massive affinity sites provided by TA/ZrIV-based MPNs, the Ti3C2Tx@Fe3O4@MPNs-TA/ZrIV composites exhibited outstanding enrichment performance with high sensitivity (1 fmol μL−1), excellent selectivity (β-casein: bovine serum albumin = 1:5000, molar ratio), and satisfactory repeatability (5 times). Encouraged by the remarkable enrichment results, we further employed the Ti3C2Tx@Fe3O4@MPNs-TA/ZrIV composites to detect phosphopeptides from non-fat milk and human saliva, which confirmed the great potential of Ti3C2Tx@Fe3O4@MPNs-TA/ZrIV composites in phosphopeptide enrichment from intricate biological specimens. The enrichment results demonstrate that Ti3C2Tx@Fe3O4@MPNs-TA/ZrIV composites are ideal candidates for the research of phosphoproteomics and also promote the application of surface-functionalized MXene-based materials in the biomedical field.

Quasi-dendritic sulfonate-based organic small molecule for high-quality NIR-II bone-targeted imaging

The visualization of bone imaging in vivo is of great significance for the understanding of some bone-related diseases or physiological processes. Herein, a bone-targeted NIR-II small molecule (TTQF-SO3), which was modified with multiple sulfonate groups, was successfully fabricated for the second near-infrared (NIR-II) bone imaging. In vitro studies revealed that TTQF-SO3 showed high affinity for hydroxyapatite and excellent macrophage accumulation ability. In in vivo assays, TTQF-SO3 displayed high bone uptake ability and high NIR-II bone imaging quality, demonstrating the specific bone-targeting ability of the sulfonate-containing probe. In addition, the noninvasive NIR-II imaging detection in bone calcium loss was successfully verified in osteoporosis mice models. Moreover, the negative charge characteristic of TTQF-SO3 showed efficient lymphoid enrichment in living mice by intravenous injection. Overall, these warrant that our TTQF-SO3 is an optimal bone-targeted diagnostic agent for high-quality NIR-II imaging, highlighting its potential promise for clinical translation.Graphical

Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Selective Separation Genistein from the Extract ofFlemingia philippinensisMerr. et Rolfe

AbstractIn this work, a kind of genistein magnetic imprinted polymers (Gen‐MMIPs) was successfully synthesized via surface molecular imprinting technique, in which genistein (Gen) and Fe3O4were used as the template molecule and the carrier, respectively. The obtained Gen‐MMIPs were characterized by TEM, VSM, FT‐IR, and XRD. The adsorption capacity of Gen‐MMIPs for Gen is 33.23 mg/g, with the kinetic adsorption of Gen‐MMIPs reaching equilibrium in 30 min. The imprinting factor (α) is 2.15, which indicated that the Gen‐MMIPs had good selectivity, high binding capacity. The Gen‐MMIPs were evaluated to separate genistein from the crude sample ofFlemingia philippinensisMerr. et Rolfe, which showed that the Gen‐MMIPs can be applied to separate genistein from complicated samples of natural products. These results indicated that the Gen‐MMIPs have great potential for efficient separation and enrichment of genistein in complicated samples.

Wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography enrichment and glyco-proteomic characterization of tetrodotoxin-binding proteins from the plasma of cultured tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes).

Efficient enrichment of tetrodotoxin (TTX)-binding proteins from the plasma of cultured tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) was achieved by ammonium sulfate fractionation and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) affinity chromatography. The enrichment efficiency was validated by ultrafiltration-LC/MS-based TTX-binding assay and proteomics. Major proteins in the WGA-bound fraction were identified as isoform X1 (125kDa) and X2 variants (88 and 79kDa) derived from pufferfish saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin-binding protein (PSTBP) 1-like gene (LOC101075943). The 125-kDa X1 protein was found to be a novel member of the lipocalin family, having three tandemly repeated domains. X2 variants, X2α and X2β, were estimated to have two domains, and X2β is structurally related to Takifugu pardalis PSTBP2 in their domain type and arrangement. Among 11 potential N-glycosylation sites in the X2 precursor, 5 N-glycosylated Asn residues (N55, N89, N244, N308, and N449) were empirically determined. Structural relationships among PSTBP homologs and complexity of their proteoforms are discussed.

Efficient enrichment of platinum group metals from spent automotive catalysts by alkaline hydrothermal treatment and the subsequent acid leaching method

Spent automotive catalysts (SAC) is the most important secondary resource for the recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs). This paper demonstrates that the acid-resistant and alkali-resistant cordierite carrier can be transformed into hydroxysodalite by a alkaline hydrothermal treatment (AHT), which can then be dissolved by subsequent acid leaching (AL) to enrich PGMs. Experiments were conducted to assess the influencing factors and the optimal conditions were determined as follows: holding temperature of 150 °C; NaOH to raw material mass ratio 10:10; holding time of 60 min; liquid to solid ratio of 3:1, and stirring speed of 400 rpm. The residue ratio in the AHT process was 132.57% under optimized conditions. The total residue ratio was 18.68% under fixed acid leaching experimental conditions of holding temperature of 60 °C, liquid to solid ratio of 15:1, holding time of 60 min, stirring speed of 400 rpm, and hydrochloric acid concentration of 2.5 mol·L-1. The contents of Pt, Pd, and Rh in the enriched residue reached 650.50, 2131.54, and 405.28 g·t−1, respectively, and the corresponding enrichment times were 7.13, 7.25, and 7.07. The additions of sodium formate before the AHT and aluminum powder during the AL were found to effectively inhibit PGMs leaching. The losses of Pt, Pd, and Rh throughout the entire process were only 2.77%, 1.89%, and 4.28%, respectively.

Advances in the Efficient Enrichment of Anammox Bacteria

Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) process is known as a low-energy and environmentally friendly process for treating nitrogen-rich wastewater. Anammox bacteria are the key microorganisms to achieve this biological process. However, the efficient enrichment of anammox bacteria has been a bottleneck for its practical application because of their slow growth and high sensitivity, and no pure culture has been found. Therefore, the development of efficient anammox bacterial enrichment techniques is of great theoretical and application value. Solving the problem of anammox bacterial activity and improving the process denitrification performance is one of the current research hotspots. In this paper, three aspects of anammox bacteria are described in terms of their physiological properties, environmental influencing factors, and short-term starvation tolerance; a systematic review of the latest research progress in accelerating the activity of anammox bacteria using enrichment strategies for process regulation, the construction of granulation models, suspended sludge biomass management, and strain preservation. Finally, the future frontier development of anammox bacteria was discussed and foreseen.

Construction of Magnetic Core-Large Mesoporous Satellite Immunosensor for Long-Lasting Chemiluminescence and Highly Sensitive Tumor Marker Determination.

Chemiluminescence immunoassay exhibits high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio, thus attracting great attention in the early diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of diseases. However, the collection of conventional flash-type chemiluminescence signal (<5s) relies heavily on automatic sampling and reading instrument. Herein, a novel core-satellite multifunctional chemiluminescence immunosensor is designed for the efficient enrichment and highly sensitive determination of cancer biomarker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) with enhanced and long-lasting output signal that can be conveniently recorded by a simple microplate plate reading instrument. Anti-CEA monoclonal antibody 2 (Ab2) modified Fe3 O4 @SiO2 microspheres (Fe3 O4 @SiO2 -Ab2, 370nm in diameter) are synthesized as the core for selectively capturing and enriching target CEA in solution, and anti-human CEA monoclonal antibody 1 (Ab1) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) co-immobilized dendritic large-mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs-HRP/Ab1, 80nm in diameter, pore size: 17nm) are synthesized as the satellite for efficient immunological recognition and signal amplification. The as-designed core-satellite magnetic chemiluminescence immunosensors exhibit a broad linear range of 0.01-20ngmL-1 and a low detection limit of 3.0pgmL-1 for the convenient, highly specific, and sensitive determination of CEA in human serum. Such core-satellite chemiluminescence immunosensors are expected to act as a powerful tool for in vitro detection of various biomarkers, overcome the defect of conventional chemiluminescence relying heavily on expensive and bulky automatic instruments and popularize chemiluminescence analysis to primary medical institutions and remote areas.

Tunable Fluorine-Functionalized Scholl-Coupled Microporous Polymer for the Selective Adsorption and Ultrasensitive Analysis of Environmental Liquid-Crystal Monomers.

Liquid-crystal monomers (LCMs), especially fluorinated biphenyls and analogues (FBAs), are identified to be an emerging generation of persistent organic pollutants. However, there is a dearth of information about their occurrence and distribution in environmental water and lacustrine soil samples. Herein, a series of fluorine-functionalized Scholl-coupled microporous polymers (FSMP-X, X = 1-3) were designed and synthesized for the highly efficient and selective enrichment of FABs. Their hydrophobicity, porosity, chemical stability, and adsorption performance (capacity, rate, and selectivity) were regulated preciously. The best-performing material (FSMP-2) was employed as the on-line fluorous solid-phase extraction (on-line FSPE) adsorbent owing to its high adsorption capacity (313.68 mg g-1), fast adsorption rate (1.05 g h-1), and specific selectivity for FBAs. Notably, an enrichment factor of up to 590.2 was obtained for FSMP-2, outperforming commercial C18 (12.6-fold). Also, the underlying adsorption mechanism was uncovered by density functional theory calculations and experiments. Based on this, a novel and automated on-line FSPE-high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for ultrasensitive (detection limits: 0.0004-0.0150 ng mL-1) and low matrix effect (73.79-113.3%) determination of LCMs in lake water and lacustrine soils. This study offers new insight into the highly selective quantification of LCMs and the first evidence for their occurrence and distribution in these environmental samples.

Magnetic nitrogen-doped activated carbon improved biohydrogen production.

Low biological hydrogen (bioH2) production due to non-optimal metabolic pathways occurs frequently. In this work, magnetic nitrogen-doped activated carbon (MNAC) was prepared and added into the inoculated sludge with glucose as substrate to enhance hydrogen (H2) yield by mesophilic dark fermentation (DF). The highest H2 yield appeared in 400 mg/L AC (252.8 mL/g glucose) and 600 mg/L MNAC group (304.8 mL/g glucose), which were 26.02% and 51.94% higher than that of 0 mg/L MNAC group (200.6 mL/g glucose). The addition of MNAC allowed for efficient enrichment of Firmicutes and Clostridium-sensu-stricto-1, accelerating the metabolic pathway shifted towards butyrate type. The Fe ions released by MNAC facilitated electron transfer and favored the reduction of ferredoxin (Fd), thereby obtaining more bioH2. Finally, the generation of [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase and cellular components of H2-producing microbes (HPM) during homeostasis was discussed to understand on the use of MNAC in DF system.

Novel application of depressant sodium mercaptoacetate in flotation separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite

The development of flotation reagents with high selectivity and strong depression ability is of great significance in the efficient enrichment of copper sulfide ores. In this work, a new depressant, sodium mercaptoacetate (SMA) has been explored for the flotation separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite, and the depression mechanism of SMA was studied by Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer (FTIR), adsorption tests, local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test (LEIS), Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Micro-flotation tests showed that SMA strongly depresses pyrite in the pH range of 6–10. When the dosage of SMA is 2.5 × 10−5 mol/L, the dosage of SBX is 1 × 10−5 mol/L, and pH = 6.5, the concentrate with a Cu grade of 31.93% and chalcopyrite recovery of 85.97% can be obtained, in which the pyrite recovery was only 4.18%, respectively. The strong chemical adsorption between SMA and Fe atomic sites exposed on the surface of pyrite reduces the hydrophobicity of pyrite and hinders the adsorption of SBX. In comparison, SMA has less adsorption on the surface of chalcopyrite and hardly affects the further adsorption of SBX. It was shown that SMA could be used as an effective depressant for pyrite in the flotation separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite.

Oxygen-doped graphite carbon nitride as a fiber coating material for headspace solid-phase microextraction of organic phosphate esters

Efficient enrichment of trace organic phosphate ester (OPEs) pollutants from complex matrixes is essential for chromatographic analysis. Herein, oxygen-doped graphite carbon nitride (denoted as O-g-C3N4) was fabricated though thermal polycondensation of urea using H2O2 as an oxygen source. The resulting O-g-C3N4 material was loose and had homogeneous pores structure, with a specific surface area of 73.74 m2/g. The O-g-C3N4 was served as fiber coating material to create solid phase microextraction (SPME) device, with silica sol as adhesive for OPEs determination. Owing to the well-developed porosity of O-g-C3N4, which provides effective mass transfer channels for OPEs, the whole SPME procedure could be accomplished within 25 min. The O-g-C3N4 fiber coating offers excellent mechanical strength and high stability and being workable after 180 sampling. The developed approach revealed a good linearity for OPEs in ultrapure water at the concentrations of 0.01–100 µg/L with the LODs between 0.001 µg/L and 0.003 µg/L. In addition, relative recoveries of 85.24% ∼99.73% were achieved in tap water and river water. These findings suggested that the oxygen-doped g-C3N4 material has potential for headspace SPME of trace OPEs in various matrixes.

Preparation of cellulose@amidoxime by plasma-induced grafting technology and its potential application for uranium extraction

The efficient enrichment of uranium from the seawater is urgently required for the long-term development of nuclear energy. Here, a plasma-light-amidoxime-cellulose (PLAOC) adsorbent formed by introducing functional groups onto cellulose has been designed for the environmental friendliness of amidoxime materials. In the presence of Na2CO3, this composite exhibited excellent uranium enrichment performance up to 101.15 mg·g−1 at 303 K and pH 6.0. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models. The results indicated that U(VI) adsorption on PLAOC could depend on the chelation of oxy-nitrogen elements in the amidoxime group. Furthermore, PLAOC showed good adsorption selectivity. Most importantly, the enrichment of uranium on PLAOC was excellent in the simulated seawater. These findings demonstrate that employing plasma technology to prepare uranium-rich adsorbents can be a promising and viable approach.

One-pot fabrication of magnetic adsorbent based on polymeric ionic liquid/aminated carbon nanotubes composite for efficient capture of synthetic auxins in complex samples prior to chromatographic analysis.

Efficient enrichment is a challenging and indispensable step in the quantification of polar synthetic auxins in complex samples. In the current study, a new magnetic adsorbent based on polymeric ionic liquid/aminated carbon nanotube composite was fabricated with a one-pot precipitation copolymerization strategy and employed as the extraction phase of magnetic solid phase extraction of synthetic auxins. Various characterization techniques were utilized to inspect the morphology, structure, magnetic property, and functional groups of the prepared adsorbent. Under the optimal conditions, the obtained adsorbent displayed satisfactory capture performance towards studied auxins through multiple interactions. Adsorption studies evidenced that the adsorption procedure of the developed method towards analytes was fit for the Freundlich adsorption model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Combining with high-performance liquid chromatography, sensitive and reliable method for the identification and quantification of trace synthetic auxins in environmental water and fruit juice samples was developed. The obtained limits of detection for water and fruit juice samples located in the ranges of 0.0059-0.013 and 0.018-0.031μg/L, respectively. Recoveries in actual samples with different fortified contents varied from 82.2% to 117%, with satisfactory reproducibility. The results will evidence that the introduced extraction technique is a useful alternative for the entrapment of trace synthetic auxins from complex samples.

Quantitative evaluation of trace ritonavir in serum by versatile SERS substrate based on silver-decorated hollow reduced graphene oxide/zinc oxide nanotubes

Because of its fascinating molecular fingerprint identification ability and high sensitivity, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) shows an attractive application prospect in the clinical monitoring of blood drug concentration and efficacy judgment. In this study, a quantitative SERS-based detection of ritonavir in serum sample was conducted by developing silver (Ag)-decorated zinc oxide (ZnO)@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanotubes. Taking advantage of the efficient light absorption and molecular enrichment capabilities of hollow rGO-modified ZnO nanotubes with high specific surface area, an extremely low limit of detection (LOD) value of 466.7 pg/mL was achieved for ritonavir owing to the synchronous electromagnetic and chemical enhancement after the participation of Ag islands. Such a detection was carried out in a recyclable mode based on the intrinsic photocatalytic activity of ZnO, which was ascribed to the Ag and rGO-mediated effective separation of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. A practical SERS-based monitoring of ritonavir was finally facilitated in serum, demonstrating high recovery rates varied from 82.1% to 89.7%. Such a novel metal-semiconductor SERS sensor with ideal biocompatibility and sensitivity is promising in drug diagnostics.

Occurrence and screening- flotation separation for the beneficiation of rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) in core sediments from the Pacific Ocean

Rare earth elements (REE) and yttrium (termed as REY), as a significant strategic resource, are recently found to be extremely enriched in deep-sea sediments, which is expected to be an important REY resource in the future. However, the efficient development and utilization of deep-sea REY-rich sediments are greatly limited by the current common beneficiation and metallurgy method. In this study, detailed grain size analysis, mineral identification and geochemical measurement aiming at deep-sea sediments collected from a station in the Central Pacific Basin were employed to determine the occurrence of deep-sea REY-rich sediments. Based on that, the Screening-flotation separation was adopted to achieve efficient enrichment of REY in the sediments. The ΣREY contents in the samples can reach 790 ppm, and sieve analysis reveal that bioapatite (fish teeth and bones) and Fe-Si-Mn oxide (oxyhydr) on the micro-nodule surface are the major REY carriers. About 87.27% REY was scavenged by bioapatite fossils. The REE patterns show distinct negative Ce/Ce* and slightly positive Eu/Eu* anomalies, similar to the Western and central North Pacific seawater, indicating a promising source of REY in the samples may be pore water in sediments, taking into account other studies as well. The grain size analysis suggests that REY enrichment can be achieved by removing the fine-grained particles (<15 μm). Screening-flotation separation, as a newly developed approach for the beneficiation, uses the pre-screening method to pre-detach the clay-size fraction (<15 μm), and combines flotation and magnetic separation, which further upgrades REY concentrate to achieve about 9 times enhancement of REY recovery from marine sediments. Although further research is needed, the study we determined can provide reference for industrial exploitation of rare earth resources in deep-sea REY-rich sediments.

Polyphosphonate-segmented macroporous organosilicon frameworks for efficient dynamic enrichment of uranium with in-situ regeneration

Efficient separation and enrichment of uranium from radioactive effluents is of strategic significance for sustainable development of nuclear energy and environmental protection. Macropore structure of adsorbent is conducive to accessibility of the pore and transport of the adsorbate during dynamic adsorption. However, the low specific surface area results in fewer ligand sites and subsequently reduces the adsorption capacity. Herein, we present a novel strategy for efficient dynamic uranium enrichment using polyphosphonate-segmented macroporous organosilicon frameworks (PMOFs). PMOFs are constructed through the copolymerization of diethyl vinylphosphonate and triethoxyvinylsilane, followed by hydrolysis and condensation of the oligomers. The introduction of polyphosphonate segments into the frameworks endows PMOFs with a macroporous structure (31 µm) and a high ligand content (up to 72 wt%). Consequently, the optimized PMOF-3 demonstrated an ultrahigh dynamic adsorption capacity of 114.8 mg/g among covalently conjugated silicon-based materials. Additionally, PMOF-3 achieves a high enrichment factor (120) in the dynamic enrichment of uranium on a fixed bed column, which can be in-situ regenerated with 1 M NaHCO3 as the eluent. This work presents a new strategy for efficient dynamic enrichment of nuclides, which can be extended to the separation of other specific pollutants, shedding new light on adsorbent design and technical innovation.