Gadolinium Nitrate Research Articles

Effect of temperature and composition on density and dynamic viscosity of (lanthanide metal salts + urea) deep eutectic solvents

• Lanthanide metal-based type IV deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are prepared. • Density of type IV metal DESs are higher compared to the other urea-based DESs. • Dynamic viscosities of these DESs are lower compared to other urea-based DESs. • Viscosity of the DESs exhibits Vogel − Fulcher − Tammann (VFT) temperature dependence. • Density and viscosity both decrease with increase in mole ratio of urea. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are rapidly becoming solvent media of prominence due not only to their unique properties but also to their promising environmentally-benign nature. For effective utilization of these neoteric media, assessment of their physical properties is essential. Density and dynamic viscosity of a class of DESs constituted of a hydrated lanthanide salt and urea at varying composition in the temperature range 293.15 to 363.15 K are presented. Specifically, different possible eutectic mixtures of lanthanum nitrate hexahydrate: urea (named La : Urea), cerium nitrate hexahydrate: urea (named Ce : Urea) and gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate: urea (named Gd : Urea) are investigated. DES (Gd : Urea) at 1: 2 mole ratio exhibits the highest density (1.98783 g.cm −3 at 293.15 K) of all the DESs investigated; density is found to decrease with increasing urea. Density of these DESs decreases linearly with increasing temperature. Dynamic viscosity of these DESs also decrease with increasing urea content. The temperature dependence of the dynamic viscosity follows Vogel − Fulcher − Tammann (VFT) expression. While the activation energy of viscous flow ( E a,η ) for these (lanthanide salt : Urea) DESs is closer to those of (choline chloride + H-bond donor) DESs, their viscosity-temperature dependence is similar to that of common imidazolium ionic liquids.

Gadolinium Nitrate Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide Structure and Morphological Studies for Battery Applications

In-situ chemical and thermal reduction method was followed to prepare reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and gadolinium nitrate doped rGO (rGO/GdN) for XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM, HR-TEM, and AFM investigations. From XRD, rGO/GdN composite was in nano crystalline structure with diffraction peaks 19.38o, 22.49o, and 31.59o correspond to (101), (201), and (111) planes. FTIR spectrum shown oxygen containing functional groups with vibrational bands of hydroxyl (-OH), carbonyl (C-O), epoxy (O-C-O) group, and a strong peak represents stretching vibration of Gd-O. Raman spectra provides appearance of D, G, and 2D bands at 1323, 1572, and 2662 cm-1 respectively. Moreover, an additional band at 1607 cm-1 revealed in rGO/GdN represents the existence of nitrogen. Crystal d-spacing from HRTEM of rGO is found to be 0.344 nm for (002) plane and for Gd was 0.283 nm for (400) plane. Morphology indicated that GdN with particles are well anchored on rGO sheets. Furthermore, AFM studies for thickness of rGO/GdN was estimated as 32 nm with Average Roughness and Root Mean Square are 15.19 and 23.16 nm respectively. Hence, rGO/GdN nanocomposite has prospective applications for battery owing to their smaller crystallite sizes.

Copper selenides controlled hydrothermal synthesis of porous micro-networks with highly efficient photocatalysis

Hybrid photocatalysts have important prospects in clean energy and sewage treatment. Herein, we construct functional hybrid materials consisting of nonstoichiometric copper selenides (Cu2-xSe) and porous gadolinium micro-networks (P-MNs) formed by the hydrothermal treatment of gadolinium (III) nitrate and citric acid (Cu2-xSe/P-MNs) as the excellent photocatalyst for the photodegradation of fluorescent dyes. Cu2-xSe/P-MNs photocatalysts show good chemical stability because the hybridization of Cu2-xSe and P-MNs is based on an in-situ growth strategy. More importantly, due to the strong light-harvesting and good electron transfer ability, Cu2-xSe/P-MNs show superior photocatalytic activity with a catalytic rate of up to 0.33 min−1 only under the irradiation of 20 W of low-power white light, which is at least two orders of magnitude higher than other common photocatalysts. Detailed studies show that the h+, O2•−, and ⋅OH are the main active species in the photocatalytic process. According to the ‘three channel’ catalytic path, rhodamine 6G as the model dye can be completely and rapidly degraded within 15 min. Because of the good photocatalytic activity, Cu2-xSe/P-MNs show great application prospects.

Biofunctionalization of Mg implants with gadolinium coating for bone regeneration

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are biodegradable and biocompatible in nature, hence used as bio-implants. Mg alloys possess favourable mechanical properties same as that of human bone. In this work, we demonstrate a simple strategy of formulating a gadolinium conversion coating (GCC) on a biodegradable AZ31 Mg implant that effectively diminishes the corrosion rate and enhances bone formation. AZ31 Mg alloys were immersed in gadolinium nitrate solution at different durations (5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min) and labeled as GCC-5, GCC-15, GCC-30, GCC-45 and GCC-60 to fabricated gadolinium conversion coating (GCC) on AZ31 Mg alloys. The rapid degradation of AZ31 Mg alloy was reduced by GCC. The surface morphological analysis with the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) showed that the vertically arranged cross-linked nanolamellar plates were grown on the AZ31 Mg alloy surface. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results evident that the GCC consists of magnesium oxide and gadolinium oxide were present in the crystalline state. The in-vitro biomineralization of the GCC was analyzed by immersing in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for 7 days and confirms the formation of nanoglobular hydroxyapatite. The cell culture studies showed an increase in the cell numbers than the bare.

Safety of gadolinium based contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiotherapy - An investigation of chelate stability using relaxometry.

With the introduction of hybrid magnetic resonance linacs (MR-linac), improved imaging has enabled daily treatment adaptation. However, the use of gadolinium based contrast agents (GBCAs) is desired to further improve MR image contrast. GBCAs are in the form of a non-toxic metalorganic gadolinium complex, but toxic un-chelated aqueous gadolinium(III), Gd3+(aq), can be released in patients if the organic ligand is degraded by the radiation. In this study, T1 relaxation measurements were performed to study the effect of radiation on three GBCAs. GBCAs, gadoteric acid, gadobutrol and gadoxectic acid were investigated in a concentration range of 10-100mM. Measurements were performed on a 500MHz nuclear MR (NMR) spectrometer with a high-resolution inversion recovery sequence to determine T1. Samples were irradiated with 7 MV photons on an MR-linac to a total dose of 100Gy. The lower detection limit of Gd3+(aq) was established by estimating the overall measurement uncertainty and comparing to corresponding changes in R1 when replacing chelated Gd3+ with gadolinium nitrate at predefined percentages. The overall measurement uncertainty was estimated to ±0.0053ms-1, corresponding to Gd3+(aq) detection levels 1%-1.5% or 1-4.5 micro molar at clinical GBCA dosage. No detectable differences in R1 were observed between irradiated and non-irradiated samples for any GBCA. This study did not find any measurable degradation of GBCAs due to irradiation with high-energy X-rays, however, in-vivo investigations are needed to provide the clinical basis for safe use of contrast agents in a radiotherapy workflow.

Structural, optical, and dispersive parameters of (Gd, Mn) co-doped BiFeO3 thin film

Nanocrystalline bismuth ferrite thin films co-doped with Gd and Mn were successfully fabricated via sol-gel spin coating method onto the corning glass substrate. The effect of Gd and Mn incorporation at A and B sites of bismuth ferrite perovskite on its structural, microstructural, and optical properties was studied systematically. The starting material for the synthesis of the samples was bismuth nitrate, ferrite nitrate, gadolinium nitrate and manganese acetate. These precursors were dissolved in 2-methoxy ethanol to prepare the sol, which was spin-coated at an optimized rate of 3000 rpm for 30 s on corning glass substrate. The samples were heated subsequently at 350 °C for 5 min on a hot plate in the open air and further annealed at 550 °C for 2 h at a muffle furnace for crystallization of the as-prepared thin film. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the existence of distorted rhombohedral perovskite structure with preferred orientations along the (101) plane. The incorporation of Gd and Mn in bismuth ferrite perovskite was confirmed from Raman spectra measured at room temperature. Surface morphology and microstructural studies were carried out using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Several optical parameters like bandgap energy, Urbach energy, Extinction co-efficient, Near Edge Absorption ratio were determined from Ultraviolet–Visible spectra of the film prepared. The variation of refractive index, permittivity, loss tangent as a function of wavelength were plotted and discussed. Real and imaginary parts of dielectric functions as a function of wavelength were reported. The correlation between the structural and the microstructural parameters with the optical parameters was investigated in this work.

Synthesis of Gadolinium Complexes Using Medicinal Plant Extracts

Background: Gadolinium compounds are used as contrast enhancers in MRI imaging. Generally, free metal ions are not used in MRI imaging due to their toxicity. To reduce the toxicity of the free form of the metal, complexing agents are employed for making nanoparticles. Due to their low toxicity and natural abundance, plant extracts having potential to function as chelating agents are good alternatives for the formation of gadolinium nanoparticles. Methods: Aqueous extracts of five plant species, including Thymus daenensis Celak, Nepeta sessilifolia Bung, Crocus sativus L., Salvia hydrangea DC. ex Benth, and Hymenocrater incanus Bunge were prepared. Five complexes were produced as the result of each extract’s reaction with gadolinium nitrate solution in the presence of 1 mM solution of NaOH. The obtained complexes were analyzed adopting the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX) techniques. Results: EDAX analysis of the obtained complexes confirmed the presence of gadolinium in all complexes. Among the five complexes, the highest percentage of gadolinium (21.07) was recorded for the complex derived from the extract of H. incanus Bunge, while the lowest one (9.33) was detected for the complex derived from the T. daenensis Celak. Despite adopting various methods to disperse the complex particles in deionized water in order for determining the particle size, the high adhesion of the particles prevented the determination of the desired particle size in nanoscale. Conclusion: Although synthesizing the complexes was successful and EDAX confirmed the presence of gadolinium metal in them, SEM analysis failed to prove their nanoparticle structure. The high tendency of solid particles to adhere was found to prevent the formation of independent nanoparticles in solution.

New complexes of gadolinium with dicarboxylate diphosphabetaines

The processes of complexation of dicarboxylate diphosphabetaines with gadolinium nitrate were studied, as a result of which stable polymer metal complexes insoluble in inorganic and organic solvents were obtained. To carry out these reactions, dicarboxylate diphosphabetaines were previously synthesized: 3,3'-(propane-1,3-diylbis (diphenyl)phosphoniondiyl)dipropanoate and 3,3'-(hexane-1,3-diylbis (diphenyl)phosphoniondiyl)dipropanoate, based on maleic acid with 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)bisphosphinspropane and 1,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)bisphosphinshexane. The structure of dicarboxylate diphosphabetaines and poly-nuclear polymer complexes of gadolinium has been confirmed by modern physical and chemical methods of research, including NMR and IR spectra, elemental and X-ray structural analysis, thermal stability has been studied by simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry.

Crown Ether-Immobilized Cellulose Acetate Membranes for the Retention of Gd (III).

This study presents a new, revolutionary, and easy method of separating Gd (III). For this purpose, a cellulose acetate membrane surface was modified in three steps, as follows: firstly, with aminopropyl triethoxysylene; then with glutaraldehyde; and at the end, by immobilization of crown ethers. The obtained membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), through which the synthesis of membranes with Gd (III) separation properties is demonstrated. In addition, for the Gd (III) separating process, a gadolinium nitrate solution, with applications of moderator poison in nuclear reactors, was used. The membranes retention performance has been demonstrated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), showing a separation efficiency of up to 91%, compared with the initial feed solution.

Preparation of GdCoO3 by Sol-Gel Method and Its Photocatalytic Activity

Using gadolinium nitrate, cobalt acetate, citric acid as main raw materials, GdCoO3 was successfully prepared by sol-gel method. The prepared samples were characterized by thermogravimetric differential scanning analysis (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR). Using methyl orange solution as simulated sewage, it was investigated that the effects of synthesis temperature and illumination time on photocatalytic activity of GdCoO3. The results show that the pure cubic perovskite GdCoO3 samples can be prepared at calcination temperature of 700 °C to 1000 °C. The GdCoO3 calcined at 900 °C has uniform particles and an average grain size of about 0.5 μm to 1 μm. The photocatalytic performance of GdCoO3 calcined at 900 °C sample was the best. Under the condition of UV-light for 120 min, the photocatalytic degradation rate of methyl orange reached more than 96% in presence GdCoO3 calcined at 900 °C. This indicates that GdCoO3 has good photocatalytic performance.

Preparation and photothermal properties of gadolinium chelated tungsten oxide nanocomposite

W18O49 nanoparticles were first prepared by solvothermal method using tungsten chloride (WCl6) and gadolinium (Gd) nitrate (Gd(NO3)3·6H2O) as raw materials, then the gadolinium chelated tungsten oxide (W18O49-DTPA/Gd) nanocomposites were fabricated by microemulsion method. The structure and morphology were characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM. The results reveal that samples possess high crystallinity, good dispersion, spindle morphology the length is about 640 nm and the width is about 160 nm. And the W and Gd elements are distributed in the samples uniformly. The test of photothermal properties show that the temperature of the aqueous solution can increase to 46.9 C under the near-infrared light of 808 nm for 10 min that can meet the requirement of photothermal treatment of cancer. At the same time, the temperature of the pure water in the control group hardly changes. In addition, the samples also have computer tomography (CT) imaging function, the imaging effect is strengthened with the increase of the concentration. Compared with pure W18O49, the imaging effect has no obvious change. After co-cultured with samples for 24 h, The Human normal stem cells (LO2) survival rate is still above 85% at different sample concentrations.

Synthesis of Gd2O3 Nanoparticles and Their Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Azo Dyes

Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles were prepared via the reaction of gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate (Gd (NO3)3·6H2O) and ethylamine (C2H5NH2), and their surface morphology, particle size, and properties were examined by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The Gd2O3 nanoparticles were used as the photocatalyst for the degradation of various azo dyes, such as methyl orange (MO), acid orange 7 (AO7), and acid yellow 23 (AY23) under irradiation with UV light. The effect of the experimental parameters (initial concentration of azo dyes, dosage of catalyst, and wavelength of UV light) on the photocatalytic properties of the Gd2O3 nanoparticles were investigated. At a constant H2O2 concentration, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the Gd2O3 nanoparticles for various azo dyes was in the order: methyl orange > acid orange 7 > acid yellow 23. The kinetics study showed that the photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes was followed by a pseudo first-order reaction rate law.

Formation of Gd2O3:Nd3+ nanocrystals in silica microcapillary preforms and hollow-core anti-resonant optical fibers

A silica microcapillary preform and a hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber doped with small-size (<50 nm) Gd2O3:Nd3+ nanocrystals are fabricated by the liquid polymer-salt method for the first time, to our knowledge. Aqueous solutions of gadolinium nitrate and neodymium chloride and a soluble organic polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone) are used to form Gd2O3:Nd3+ nanocrystals inside the air channels of a preform followed by drawing of an optical fiber. Characterization of microcapillary preforms and optical fibers doped with Gd2O3:Nd3+ nanocrystals is performed with XRD, SEM, optical microscopy and photoluminescence analysis. Basic technological factors affecting structural and luminescent properties of the fabricated materials are considered. Particularly, it is found out that microcapillary preforms and hollow-core anti-resonant optical fibers doped with Gd2O3:Nd3+ nanocrystals demonstrate photoluminescence (emission spectra and luminescence lifetimes) characteristic to Nd3+ ions in metal sesquioxides. In addition, it is revealed that luminescence kinetics in optical fibers is described by two exponential dependences with decay times τ1 = 12 µs and τ2 = 233 µs that can be attributed to the feature of a cubic crystal structure of Gd2O3.

Study of Cobalt Doped GdAlO3 for Electrochemical Application

Background: Nano perovskite-type structures as denoted by ABO3 (A= RE) have been popular targets of fundamental investigations since they exhibit a wide variety of physical properties depending upon the chemical composition, defects and small changes in atomic arrangements. Methods: GdAlO3: Co2+ (1, 3 &amp;9 mol %) was synthesized using the solution combustion method by using stoichiometric quantities of gadolinium nitrate [Gd (NO3)3], aluminium nitrate (Al (NO3)2, and cobalt nitrate Co(NO3)2. Results: The morphology, structure and particle size of the prepared GdAlO3: Co2+ sample were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM) image. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectral analysis confirmed that the as-prepared powder was in pure state. Electrochemical impedance measurements (EIS) of different GdAlO3: Co2+ samples were measured vs. Ag/AgCl in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 1 MHz with AC amplitude of 5 mV at steady-state which clearly indicated that Co2+ dopant is a successful doping material for the fabrication of supercapacitors. CONCLUSION: Electrochemical impedance measurements (EIS) of different GdAlO3: Co2+ samples were measured vs. Ag/AgCl in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 1 MHz with AC amplitude of 5 mV at steady-state which clearly indicated that Co2+ dopant is a successful doping material for the fabrication of supercapacitors. From a future perspective, we believe that GdAlO3: Co2+ composite material could be a promising electrode material for the fabrication of various sensors, supercapacitors and solar cells.

Liquid–Liquid Equilibria in the Water–Nitric Acid–Europium Nitrate–Gadolinium Nitrate–Tributyl Phosphate System at 298.15 K

Liquid–liquid equilibria in the H2O–HNO3–Eu(NO3)3–Gd(NO3)3–tributyl phosphate (TBP) system and in two H2O–HNO3–Ln(NO3)3–TBP (Ln = Eu, Gd) subsystems have been investigated at 298.15 K in a wide ran...

Thermally stable and robust gadolinium-based metal-organic framework: Synthesis, structure and heterogeneous catalytic O-arylation reaction

Hydrothermal treatment of gadolinium nitrate and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (H2NDC) afforded a new metal-organic framework compound, {[Gd4(NDC)6(H2O)6]·2H2O}n(1). Compound 1 has been characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, therrmogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction analysis. It is crystallized in the monoclinic system with the P21/n space group. Four crystallographically distinct Gd (III) centres are interconnected with each other through bridged carboxylato oxygen atoms and water molecules to form tetranuclear secondary building units, which are further connected through the carboxylato ligand and the network propagates along the crystallographic ac plane to form a 2D structure. Subsequent reinforcement from the remaining carboxylato oxygen atoms gives rise to a robust 3D framework structure. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrates that compound 1 is fairly stable after dehydration under a nitrogen atmosphere.Notably, compound 1 is capable of catalyzing the O-arylation reaction efficiently between substituted phenols and bromoarene under heterogeneous conditions at 80 °C to afford unsymmetrical diarylethers.

Enhanced Acidic Hydrogen Evolution on TiO2-Doped Gadolinium Electrocatalysts

Gadolinium-doped TiO2 NPs, namely TiO2-Gd1.0 and TiO2-Gd6.0 have been synthesized using two different atomic concentrations of gadolinium(III) nitrate hexahydrate in presence of titanium(IV) tert-butoxide as a titanium precursor and dimethyl sulfoxide as a solvent. The structure and morphology of these NPs have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The two synthesized TiO2-Gd1.0 and TiO2-Gd6.0 were tested as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an acidic electrolyte (0.5 M H2SO4) based on linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements. LSV data were fitted to Tafel equation and the various electrochemical parameters describing the HER kinetics were evaluated and discussed. Results demonstrate that the kinetics of the HER on the surface of TiO2 NPs significantly enhanced upon doping it with Gd3+, proportionally to the atomic concentration of the Gd3+ cations in the TiO2 NPs.

Synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties of a heterometallic framework based on Ni4Gd nodes and 2,2′-phosphinico-dibenzoate ligand

A 4s-3d-4f heterometallic compound with the formula: [KNi4GdL4(H2O)8]·14·5H2O (1) was obtained by self-assembly of nickel nitrate and gadolinium nitrate with 2,2′-phosphinico-dibenzoic acid (H3L) under hydrothermal condition. Meanwhile, the molecular structure was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, IR and EA. The compound composes of a 3D framework based on Ni4Gd nodes and 2,2′-phosphinico-dibenzoate ligand. Interestingly, the {Ni4Gd} node exhibits a metal tetrahedron with Gd(III) ion locked in it. The pentanuclear {Ni4Gd} tetrahedra are further connected by double carboxylate groups resulting a zig-zag chain along b-axis. Moreover, the neighboring chains are bridged by potassium ions with water molecules to form a 3D framework. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility studies indicate that ferromagnetic interactions occur between the Ni(II) and Gd(III) ions.

Luminescent properties of titania doped with nanoparticles of gadolinium oxide and europium

In this work we synthetized seven samples of titania doped with nanoparticles of gadolinium oxide which, previously, were doped with europium at 2 mol%. The doped samples of titania were synthetized using the sol gel method and the nanoparticles of gadolinium oxide were synthetized by the precipitation reaction of precursors of gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate and europium nitrate pentahydrate. All the titania samples were submitted to a thermal treatment at 750 °C. Optical properties, such as the absorption, emission, and emission decay times, besides the X-ray diffraction patterns and the Raman spectra were recorded and analysed. The band gap was calculated from the extrapolation of the linear fit in the absorption edge range in the Tauc plot, the electronic transitions of the europium were identified. Finally, due to the high luminescent intensity of the nanoparticles of gadolinium oxide doped with europium, the possible incorporation of these into the matrix of titania, the possibility for exciting these using lower energy (375 nm) and consequently the shift in the band gap; made it possible to propose the material be used for photocatalytic and photonic applications.

Synthesis and Characterization of Cellulose Acetate Membranes with Self-Indicating Properties by Changing the Membrane Surface Color for Separation of Gd(III)

This study presents a new, revolutionary, and easy method for evaluating the separation process through a membrane that is based on changing the color of the membrane surface during the separation process. For this purpose, a cellulose acetate membrane surface was modified in several steps: initially with amino propyl triethoxysilane, followed by glutaraldehyde reaction and calmagite immobilization. Calmagite was chosen for its dual role as a molecule that will complex and retain Gd(III) and also as an indicator for Gd(III). At the contact with the membrane surface, calmagite will actively complex and retain Gd(III), and it will change the color of the membrane surface during the complexation process, showing that the separation occurred. The synthesized materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy, demonstrating the synthesis of membrane material with self-indicating properties. In addition, in the separation of the Gd(III) process, in which a solution of gadolinium nitrate was used as a source and as a moderator in nuclear reactors, the membrane changed its color from blue to pink. The membrane performances were tested by Induced Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses showing a separation process efficiency of 86% relative to the initial feed solution.