ABSTRACT The co-sorption of vanadium and molybdenum was investigated using the ion exchange resin Purolite D3411, which contains multiple hydroxyl functional groups. Equilibrium batch, kinetic, dynamic column and desorption experiments were performed over a wide pH range (1.5–7.0) and with varying concentrations of competitive anions (Cl− and SO4 2−, 0–1000 mg.L−1). The maximum sorption capacities calculated from the Langmuir isotherms were 135 g.L−1 for vanadium and 105 g.L−1 for molybdenum. Optimal adsorption of both elements was achieved at pH = 4.5 in the presence of moderate concentrations of competitive anions, yielding a breakthrough capacity of approximately 40 g.L−1 for each ion. At pH values below 2.0 under zero or low concentrations of competing anions, and above 6.0 under high ionic competition, molybdenum adsorption remained relatively high (breakthrough capacities of 55 and 45 g.L−1, respectively), whereas vanadium adsorption was consistently low. In contrast, at pH = 4.5 and under high concentrations of competitive anions, vanadium exhibited good adsorption performance, while molybdenum adsorption was limited.

The single-walled zeolitic nanotube is a novel open-framework material distinguished by its hollow tubular morphology and double-layered zeolitic walls. Expanding its compositional diversity and tunability is crucial for unlocking the potential of this new material. Here, we report the synthesis of tin-incorporated single-walled zeolitic nanotubes (Sn-ZNT) through a solid-state ion exchange method. Owing to the unique double-layered structure, where most framework atoms are highly exposed, local dealumination is expected to occur during ion exchange using an acidic precursor, generating vacant sites for Sn substitution. Characterizations revealed that the incorporated Sn species were located at framework sites and primarily existed as partially hydrolyzed "open" sites. These Sn species enriched and strengthened the Lewis acidity, enabling Sn-ZNT to act as an efficient Lewis acidic catalyst. Using the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation as a probe reaction, Sn-ZNT exhibited remarkable activity in converting 2-adamantanone to its corresponding lactone, achieving a turnover number three times higher than that of Sn-MFI. Sn-ZNT also exhibited unexpectedly high stability, with both its structural integrity and catalytic performance preserved over multiple reaction-regeneration cycles. The successful synthesis of Sn-ZNT expands the compositional versatility of this novel material and is expected to open up new opportunities for its applications in advanced catalysis and beyond.

This study investigates the efficacy of Moringa oleifera and onion seed powders as sustainable, plant-based coagulants for treating polluted surface water collected from Mallathahalli and Somanahalli Lakes in Karnataka, India. Surface water samples were collected during the post-monsoon season (October–November 2024), and a total of 36 grab samples (18 from each lake) were obtained following IS 3025 guidelines to ensure representative sampling and data reliability. Key physicochemical parameters such as turbidity, color, pH, conductivity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) and metallic pollutants were analyzed before and after treatment. Based on pH, dosage, and contact time, optimal operational conditions for coagulation flocculation were determined using Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimized dosage-time combination (5–6% dosage and 25–45 min contact time) yielded removal efficiencies within the target range of 50–70% for multiple parameters. Results indicated that both M. oleifera and onion seed powder significantly reduced turbidity and color, with onion powder showing superior removal efficiencies for heavy metals. Specifically, onion seed achieved up to 95% Cu and 84% Zn removal, outperforming M. oleifera in most cases. Mechanistic analysis revealed that metal removal was facilitated by adsorption, chelation, and ion exchange interactions involving cationic proteins, flavonoids, and organosulfur compounds present in the coagulants. Variations in removal performance between the two lakes were attributed to differences in initial water chemistry, pH, ionic background, and natural organic matter (NOM). The findings support the application of M. oleifera and onion seed powder as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical coagulants for rural and urban water purification, especially in regions facing water quality challenges and heavy metal contamination. This research offers a scalable and sustainable approach to improving water quality using low-cost, biodegradable materials.

ABSTRACT The development of high‐performance, cost‐effective ion exchange membranes (IEMs) is crucial for advancing sustainable energy storage technologies. In this study, we focus on sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfone) (SPPSU) membranes, which were fabricated via a copolymerization route with pre‐sulfonated monomers to systematically control their sulfonation degree. Through a targeted screening process, an optimized membrane composition—specifically the 0.5‐SPPSU variant was identified, exhibiting a well‐balanced combination of moderate water uptake, limited swelling, high ionic conductivity, and excellent mechanical and thermal stability. When implemented in alkaline zinc‐iron flow batteries (AZIFBs), this optimized membrane delivered impressive electrochemical performance, achieving an energy efficiency of 80.61%, a Coulombic efficiency of 98.73%, and stable operation over 1000 cycles (380 h) at 200 mA cm −2 . These results highlight the potential of tailored SPPSU membranes as durable and efficient IEMs for long‐cycling AZIFB systems.

Interface engineering can effectively reduce thermal conductivity in thermoelectric materials, resulting in enhanced thermoelectric performance. However, achieving synergistically optimized thermal and electrical transport properties remains challenging. In this study, MoSe2 was decorated into Ag2Se by a two-step solvothermal/hydrothermal process combined with spark plasma sintering. Spark plasma sintering enables interfacial ion exchange, resulting in reduced carrier concentration and increased Seebeck coefficient. Meanwhile the decorated MoSe2 at the grain boundaries strongly scatters phonons, along with the reduced electrical conductivity, resulting in significantly reduced thermal conductivity. Consequently, the Ag2Se/4mol% MoSe2 composite achieves a notable maximum figure of merit of 1.07 at 390 K and a theoretical maximum conversion efficiency of 2% at a temperature difference of 45 K, indicating that MoSe2 doping substantially improves the thermoelectric characteristics of n-type Ag2Se. This nanostructured interface design approach may be useful for improving the performance of various thermoelectric materials.

The lack of clean water due to water pollution is a significant issue, particularly in developed and low-income nations. This work investigates an economic approach to removing the carcinogenic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) from wastewater using activated carbon derived from coconut biomass (C-AC) and acid-modified coconut biochar (HC-AC). The characterization results demonstrate that both C-AC and HC-AC had porous structures with high surface areas of 572.6 and 664.4 m2g-1, respectively. They also contained oxygen- related functional f groups such as C-O, C=O, O-H, and -COOH, which help enhance the adsorption of Cd2+ through complexation and ion exchange. Experimental results indicated that the adsorption performance of Cd2+ ions strongly depends on solution pH, with the highest removal efficiency observed at pH 6.0. First-order and second-order kinetic models were applied to investigate the time-dependent and removal rate of Cd2+ ions. Moreover, the removal efficiency of Cd2⁺ decreases from 84.9 to 55.3% for C-AC and from 96.7 to 67.5% for HC-AC as the initial concentration increases from 10 to 200mg L⁻1. After 180min of contact time, HC-AC completely removed Cd2⁺ ions from the wastewater sample, and C-AC also displayed a high removal rate of around 95%. After three reuse cycles, both adsorbents retained effective removal efficiencies for Cd2⁺ ions, with 75.3% for C-AC and 87.8% for HC-AC. Compared with other adsorbents, HC-AC not only exhibits a high adsorption capacity for Cd2+ (140.3mgg-1) but also offers several benefits, including low cost, waste-to-resource conversion, and scalability. This work presents an effective approach to converting waste biomass into value-added materials.

A water-based synthesis and electrode fabrication protocol for sodium-rich Prussian blue (Na–PB) cathodes designed for sustainable aqueous sodium-ion batteries was adopted. Using a citric-acid-assisted co-precipitation method followed by aqueous Na⁺ ion exchange, the process consistently yielded 3.113 g of high-quality Na–PB per 400 mL batch under mild conditions (<80 °C). Electrodes were fabricated via doctor-blade coating onto aluminium foil using a biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder and conductive additive, completely eliminating toxic organic solvents. X-ray diffraction confirmed a highly crystalline cubic (slightly rhombohedral-distorted) phase with low [Fe(CN)₆] vacancy content (<10%), while scanning electron microscopy revealed uniform cubic particles ranging from 200 to 800 nm. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis indicated moderate specific surface areas (12–18 m² g⁻¹) with mesoporous characteristics. The results demonstrate that structurally optimized Na–PB cathodes can be produced through an environmentally benign and scalable approach, and future work should incorporate electrochemical performance evaluation and long-term cycling studies to support practical battery applications.

The increasing release of toxic pollutants into water bodies, especially heavy metal ions (HMs), poses severe environmental and health challenges. Among various remediation techniques, adsorption using functionalized carbon nanomaterials has emerged as an efficient and sustainable approach due to their high surface area, tunable porosity, and diverse surface functionalities. This review systematically evaluates recent advancements in the synthesis, surface functionalization, and adsorption behaviour of carbon-based nanomaterials such as graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), biochar (BC), and activated carbon (AC) for the removal of HMs. Particular attention is given to the roles of oxygen-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-containing functional groups in enhancing adsorption via mechanisms such as electrostatic interactions, ion exchange, surface complexation, redox transformation, and precipitation. The novelty of this review lies in its focused and comparative analysis of how specific surface functional groups influence distinct adsorption mechanisms, capacities, and kinetic/isotherm behaviours across various carbonaceous nanomaterials. Additionally, it highlights recent advancements in multifunctional composite adsorbents such as GO-polymer hybrids, Metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-carbon composites, and metal oxide-functionalized BC that offer synergistic improvements in selectivity, reusability, and stability. By identifying current research gaps and synthesizing recent findings, this review provides a strategic framework for designing next-generation carbon nanomaterials for practical applications in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.

Zeolites are crystalline microporous materials extensively applied in ion exchange, adsorption, separation, and catalysis. However, small-, medium-, and large-pore zeolites with 8-12-membered-ring (MR) frameworks suffer from intrinsic diffusion and reactivity limitations in the conversion of bulky molecules. Recent advances in molecular engineering have enabled the synthesis of extra-large-pore (ELP) frameworks with window sizes exceeding 12-MRs, which bridge the gap between microporous and mesoporous materials. These architecturally unique ELP zeolites facilitate the diffusion of bulky molecules, unlocking opportunities in catalysis, separation, and environmental remediation. This review consolidates the rapidly expanding field of ELP zeolites, providing a comprehensive overview ranging from early germanosilicate and phosphate-based systems to recent high-silica and aluminosilicate ELP frameworks with three-dimensional interconnected pore networks. First, we delineate the structural characteristics of ELP zeolites (ring aperture, framework density, and pore dimensionality) and discuss advanced characterisation techniques that have enabled their precise structural elucidation. We then systematically summarise the synthetic methodologies, encompassing the prevailing 'bottom-up' and 'top-down' strategies, as well as emerging approaches such as high-throughput screening and machine learning-guided framework design. Representative ELP zeolites across phosphate-, germanosilicate-, pure-silica, aluminosilicate-, and heteroatom-containing frameworks are examined with respect to their functional potential in adsorption, separation, and catalysis. Finally, key challenges, including the high cost of multi-step templating, reliance on germanium, structural framework defects, and environmentally unsustainable synthesis methods, are highlighted, along with perspectives on accelerating the development of next-generation ELP zeolites through data-driven design integrated with in situ characterisation.

Structure-performance relationship of graphene aerogels in heavy metal remediation: Advances in preparation, mechanisms, and functionalization.

Balancing climate impact, resource use, and environmental safety: Assessment of treatment options for lithium-ion battery recycling wastewater.

Acrylic acid functionalized silica composite resin for selective recovery of Ru from simulated high-level liquid waste.

Application of ion-exchange chromatographic technique using resins to prepare the salts of polar unstable prodrugs and new chemical entities (NCEs).

RSM-optimized Mg/Al-LDH biochar composite for enhanced phosphorus removal: Insights into interlayer structure evolution and adsorption mechanism.

Bioaugmentation-driven sustainable leaching of multivalent metals from iron tailings: Decoding microbial mechanisms for coastal salinity mitigation.

Alkali-activated magnetic red mud for Sr2+ adsorption and microwave vitrification into stable iron phosphate glass.

Biological nanopores facilitate the continuous exchange of ions, molecules, and energy between living organisms and their environment. Scientists have used biological nanopores for sensing, such as gene sequencing and single‐molecule detection. However, biological nanopores are inherently fragile. Inspired by biological nanopores, scientists have developed solid‐state nanopores/nanochannels. These synthetic systems have stable physical properties, adjustable geometric shapes, and chemically modifiable surfaces. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) overcome the limitations of traditional solid‐state nanochannel surface functionalization through their designable framework structures. Here, we summarize the functionalization strategies and applications of MOFs and COFs on the inner wall and outer surface of solid‐state nanochannels. The functionalization can precisely regulate surface properties, chemical environment, and pore size, thereby achieving high sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity in solid‐state nanochannel sensing. Finally, the future development opportunities in this research field were discussed.

A structurally distinct neutral polysaccharide from Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce improves hyperglycemia via the PI3K-AKT-GSK3β/FoxO1 signaling pathway.

The effect of ion pairing on speciation and transport in ion exchange membranes at varying hydration levels: A four-state model

Serpentine-modified biochar from dual wastes for enhanced copper removal: Performance and mechanism.