Membrane fouling is the main technical limitation to membrane filtration processes aimed at effectively separating valuable biomolecules from microalgae solutions. Although several fouling mechanisms have been proposed, they have rarely been directly observed. In this work, we demonstrate the direct nanometer-scale visualization of fouling both inside and on the surface of membranes. To mimic the microfiltration of real bioresource extracts, model solutions of lipids, proteins, and their mixtures were filtered, and the consecutively fouled membranes were analysed and reconstructed in 3D at high resolution using cryogenic focused ion beam coupled with scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FIB/SEM). Nanometer-scale analysis using deep learning segmentation tools (random forest combined with U-net model) uncovers membrane fouling mechanisms previously hypothesized, providing insights into how filtration depends on complex mixture composition. A quantitative analysis of the pores that are fouled or blocked, and open pores that can actively contribute to filtration is established. The methodology presented in this work provides directly probed, relevant information on membrane fouling structures that are scarcely accessible by other means, with broad applications to filtration processes in both industry and biotechnology research.
{"title":"Probing the fouling induced by biomolecules of a polymer microfiltration membrane using 3D cryo-FIB/SEM","authors":"Hélène Roberge , Philippe Moreau , Estelle Couallier , Patricia Abellan","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Membrane fouling is the main technical limitation to membrane filtration processes aimed at effectively separating valuable biomolecules from microalgae solutions. Although several fouling mechanisms have been proposed, they have rarely been directly observed. In this work, we demonstrate the direct nanometer-scale visualization of fouling both inside and on the surface of membranes. To mimic the microfiltration of real bioresource extracts, model solutions of lipids, proteins, and their mixtures were filtered, and the consecutively fouled membranes were analysed and reconstructed in 3D at high resolution using cryogenic focused ion beam coupled with scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FIB/SEM). Nanometer-scale analysis using deep learning segmentation tools (random forest combined with U-net model) uncovers membrane fouling mechanisms previously hypothesized, providing insights into how filtration depends on complex mixture composition. A quantitative analysis of the pores that are fouled or blocked, and open pores that can actively contribute to filtration is established. The methodology presented in this work provides directly probed, relevant information on membrane fouling structures that are scarcely accessible by other means, with broad applications to filtration processes in both industry and biotechnology research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 137045"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137047
Zhimei Xia, Jing He, Caiyi Wang, Weihuan Xia, Shengjie Yi, Longgang Ye, Shufen Liu, Li Zhang, Yujie Hu
The accumulation of magnesium in zinc hydrometallurgy systems poses significant challenges to process efficiency and product quality. Existing removal methods often suffer from low selectivity, high energy consumption, or environmental concerns. This study proposes a novel two-step precipitation strategy using sodium bicarbonate for selective zinc recovery and magnesium control from purified zinc sulfate solution (PZSS). Under optimized conditions (1 mol/L NaHCO3, 100% stoichiometric NaHCO3 relative to Zn2+, 35 °C, 5 h, and 14 mL/min feed rate), Zn was recovered as ZnCO3 with a high recovery rate of 99.86% and a low magnesium co-precipitation of only 1.64%. Subsequent magnesium removal using ammonia water achieved over 92% efficiency. The selective precipitation mechanism is attributed to the large solubility difference between ZnCO3 and MgCO3 under neutral pH conditions, coupled with the kinetic preference for ZnCO3 nucleation, as elucidated by species distribution analysis, XRD, and SEM-EDS. This method provides an efficient, environmentally friendly alternative for magnesium management in zinc hydrometallurgy.
{"title":"A two-step precipitation strategy for zinc recovery and magnesium control in sulfate solutions: process optimization and mechanistic insights","authors":"Zhimei Xia, Jing He, Caiyi Wang, Weihuan Xia, Shengjie Yi, Longgang Ye, Shufen Liu, Li Zhang, Yujie Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The accumulation of magnesium in zinc hydrometallurgy systems poses significant challenges to process efficiency and product quality. Existing removal methods often suffer from low selectivity, high energy consumption, or environmental concerns. This study proposes a novel two-step precipitation strategy using sodium bicarbonate for selective zinc recovery and magnesium control from purified zinc sulfate solution (PZSS). Under optimized conditions (1 mol/L NaHCO<sub>3</sub>, 100% stoichiometric NaHCO<sub>3</sub> relative to Zn<sup>2+</sup>, 35 °C, 5 h, and 14 mL/min feed rate), Zn was recovered as ZnCO<sub>3</sub> with a high recovery rate of 99.86% and a low magnesium co-precipitation of only 1.64%. Subsequent magnesium removal using ammonia water achieved over 92% efficiency. The selective precipitation mechanism is attributed to the large solubility difference between ZnCO<sub>3</sub> and MgCO<sub>3</sub> under neutral pH conditions, coupled with the kinetic preference for ZnCO<sub>3</sub> nucleation, as elucidated by species distribution analysis, XRD, and SEM-EDS. This method provides an efficient, environmentally friendly alternative for magnesium management in zinc hydrometallurgy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"391 ","pages":"Article 137047"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hormone contamination in aquatic systems threatens human health and ecosystems, demanding efficient and sustainable separation strategies. This study aims to develop a machine learning (ML) framework to predict hormone adsorption using agrifood waste-derived adsorbents and to identify the key variables governing adsorption efficiency. A dataset of 604 observations with nine input variables was compiled from peer-reviewed studies. Three ensemble ML algorithms—Random Forest (RF), Least Squares Boosting, and M5 model trees—were evaluated across 511 models generated from all combinations of one to nine input variables. RF demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy, achieving a maximum test coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.976 and a minimum mean absolute error of 4.26 using eight input variables. Model robustness was assessed using a Combined Index (CI) integrating six statistical metrics, which decreased from a median value of 0.78 for single-input models to 0.0006 for the optimal eight-input configuration; the full nine-input model yielded CI = 0.0019. Bayesian optimization using the Expected Improvement per Second acquisition function further improved model performance, producing the highest test Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (0.951) and the lowest normalized root mean square error (0.162) and ratio of root mean square error to standard deviation (0.221). Feature importance analysis identified initial concentration, contact time, pH, and adsorbent-to-solution ratio as the most influential predictors of adsorption efficiency. Hormone-specific analyses for 17β-estradiol (318 data points) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (106 data points) confirmed the robustness of these findings. The results show that optimized ML models support the design of sustainable adsorption-based hormone removal systems.
水生系统中的激素污染威胁着人类健康和生态系统，需要有效和可持续的分离策略。本研究旨在开发一个机器学习（ML）框架，以预测使用农业食品垃圾衍生吸附剂的激素吸附，并确定控制吸附效率的关键变量。从同行评议的研究中编译了604个观察结果和9个输入变量的数据集。三种集成ML算法——随机森林（RF）、最小二乘增强和M5模型树——在511个模型中进行了评估，这些模型是由1到9个输入变量的所有组合生成的。RF具有最高的预测精度，8个输入变量的最大检验决定系数（R2）为0.976，最小平均绝对误差为4.26。模型稳健性评估采用综合六个统计指标的综合指数（CI），从单输入模型的中位数0.78下降到最佳八输入配置的0.0006；完整的9个输入模型的CI = 0.0019。贝叶斯优化利用每秒预期改进（Expected Improvement per Second）获取函数进一步提高了模型的性能，产生最高的检验Nash-Sutcliffe效率（0.951），最低的归一化均方根误差（0.162）和均方根误差与标准差之比（0.221）。特征重要性分析表明，初始浓度、接触时间、pH值和吸附剂与溶液的比例是影响吸附效率的最重要因素。对17β-雌二醇（318个数据点）和17α-炔雌醇（106个数据点）的激素特异性分析证实了这些发现的稳健性。结果表明，优化的ML模型支持基于可持续吸附的激素去除系统的设计。
{"title":"Machine learning–driven identification of key factors governing hormone adsorption by agrifood waste–derived adsorbents","authors":"Masud Parvez , Ahasanul Karim , Zarifeh Raji , Isa Ebtehaj , Hossein Bonakdari , Seddik Khalloufi","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hormone contamination in aquatic systems threatens human health and ecosystems, demanding efficient and sustainable separation strategies. This study aims to develop a machine learning (ML) framework to predict hormone adsorption using agrifood waste-derived adsorbents and to identify the key variables governing adsorption efficiency. A dataset of 604 observations with nine input variables was compiled from peer-reviewed studies. Three ensemble ML algorithms—Random Forest (RF), Least Squares Boosting, and M5 model trees—were evaluated across 511 models generated from all combinations of one to nine input variables. RF demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy, achieving a maximum test coefficient of determination (R<sup>2</sup>) of 0.976 and a minimum mean absolute error of 4.26 using eight input variables. Model robustness was assessed using a Combined Index (CI) integrating six statistical metrics, which decreased from a median value of 0.78 for single-input models to 0.0006 for the optimal eight-input configuration; the full nine-input model yielded CI = 0.0019. Bayesian optimization using the Expected Improvement per Second acquisition function further improved model performance, producing the highest test Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (0.951) and the lowest normalized root mean square error (0.162) and ratio of root mean square error to standard deviation (0.221). Feature importance analysis identified initial concentration, contact time, pH, and adsorbent-to-solution ratio as the most influential predictors of adsorption efficiency. Hormone-specific analyses for 17β-estradiol (318 data points) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (106 data points) confirmed the robustness of these findings. The results show that optimized ML models support the design of sustainable adsorption-based hormone removal systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"391 ","pages":"Article 137033"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137035
Mingjiao Tian , Yaruo Zhao , Qin Yang , Changwei Chen , Han Xu , Dong Guo , Zeyu Jiang , Haohua Kang , Shan Ren , Chi He
The environmentally friendly purification of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) is a challenge in current air pollution control. Construction of active oxygen species on the catalyst surface is a promising strategy to promote the cleavage of CCl bond and the destruction of CVOC molecules. Herein, an oxygen-vacancy-rich perovskite-type 3LaCoO3 catalyst was constructed for the efficient catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene (CB). The partial removal of La in 3LaCoO3 structure effectively modulates charge redistribution of Co sites, facilitating the Co3+/Co2+ redox cycle. Additionally, the La vacancy significantly enhanced the mobility of surface O22−, O2−, and O− species of 3LaCoO3 along with the generation of oxygen vacancies, exhibiting the optimal oxygen activation capacity, which enhances the pathway: CB → phenolate species → C=C/CH3/COOH → HCl/CO2/H2O and suppresses the formation of hazardous vinyl chloride, trichloroethane, dichloromethane, and chloroform. This study provides critical insights into the construction of oxygen vacancies and the development of active surface oxygen species for industrial CVOC stable and efficient elimination.
{"title":"La vacancy-induced enhancement of CoO and oxygen vacancy for efficient chlorobenzene oxidation","authors":"Mingjiao Tian , Yaruo Zhao , Qin Yang , Changwei Chen , Han Xu , Dong Guo , Zeyu Jiang , Haohua Kang , Shan Ren , Chi He","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environmentally friendly purification of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) is a challenge in current air pollution control. Construction of active oxygen species on the catalyst surface is a promising strategy to promote the cleavage of C<img>Cl bond and the destruction of CVOC molecules. Herein, an oxygen-vacancy-rich perovskite-type 3LaCoO<sub>3</sub> catalyst was constructed for the efficient catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene (CB). The partial removal of La in 3LaCoO<sub>3</sub> structure effectively modulates charge redistribution of Co sites, facilitating the Co<sup>3+</sup>/Co<sup>2+</sup> redox cycle. Additionally, the La vacancy significantly enhanced the mobility of surface O<sub>2</sub><sup>2−</sup>, O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup>, and O<sup>−</sup> species of 3LaCoO<sub>3</sub> along with the generation of oxygen vacancies, exhibiting the optimal oxygen activation capacity, which enhances the pathway: CB → phenolate species → C=C/CH<sub>3</sub>/COOH → HCl/CO<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O and suppresses the formation of hazardous vinyl chloride, trichloroethane, dichloromethane, and chloroform. This study provides critical insights into the construction of oxygen vacancies and the development of active surface oxygen species for industrial CVOC stable and efficient elimination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 137035"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137036
Hanbo Shi , Nannan Zhang , Wei Guo , Tancheng Dong , Bihui Zhou , Lanlan Yu , Baojun Liu , Jincheng Mu
Birnessite-type δ-MnO2 is a promising candidate for low-temperature NH3-SCR reaction owning to its excellent redox properties. However, its performance is severely hampered by the excessive oxidation state of Mn species, which induces strong NH3 chemisorption and subsequent over-oxidation to NOx. Herein, phenylalanine-functionalized δ-MnO2 nanosheets (MnOx-Phe) were developed, leveraging Phe's coordinating –NH2 group to modulate surface properties of Mn species. The optimal MnOx-Phe-0.1 catalyst achieves ∼90% NOx conversion at 75 °C with a broad temperature window from 75 to 210 °C (GHSV = 50,000 h−1), representing a reaction rate 4.8 to 8.2 times greater than that of pure δ-MnO2. Additionally, the catalyst exhibits remarkable resistance against SO2 and H2O. Comprehensive characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that Phe modification shifts down the d-band center of δ-MnO2 from −1.22 eV to −2.78 eV, and attenuates the oxidation state of Mn species. This unique configuration suppresses the over-oxidation of NH3 and weakens the interaction between catalyst and poisons, while promoting the activation of NH3 to *NH2 with a lower energy barrier, thus driving a desired Eley-Rideal pathway and endowing strong tolerance against SO2 and H2O at low temperatures. This work provides a novel organic-inorganic hybrid strategy for designing robust low-temperature NH3-SCR catalysts with superior activity and poison resistance.
{"title":"Regulating electronic state of δ-MnO2 through an organic-inorganic hybrid engineering for boosted low-temperature NOx elimination","authors":"Hanbo Shi , Nannan Zhang , Wei Guo , Tancheng Dong , Bihui Zhou , Lanlan Yu , Baojun Liu , Jincheng Mu","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Birnessite-type δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> is a promising candidate for low-temperature NH<sub>3</sub>-SCR reaction owning to its excellent redox properties. However, its performance is severely hampered by the excessive oxidation state of Mn species, which induces strong NH<sub>3</sub> chemisorption and subsequent over-oxidation to NO<sub>x</sub>. Herein, phenylalanine-functionalized δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> nanosheets (MnO<sub>x</sub>-Phe) were developed, leveraging Phe's coordinating –NH<sub>2</sub> group to modulate surface properties of Mn species. The optimal MnO<sub>x</sub>-Phe-0.1 catalyst achieves ∼90% NO<sub>x</sub> conversion at 75 °C with a broad temperature window from 75 to 210 °C (GHSV = 50,000 h<sup>−1</sup>), representing a reaction rate 4.8 to 8.2 times greater than that of pure δ-MnO<sub>2</sub>. Additionally, the catalyst exhibits remarkable resistance against SO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O. Comprehensive characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that Phe modification shifts down the <em>d</em>-band center of δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> from −1.22 eV to −2.78 eV, and attenuates the oxidation state of Mn species. This unique configuration suppresses the over-oxidation of NH<sub>3</sub> and weakens the interaction between catalyst and poisons, while promoting the activation of NH<sub>3</sub> to *NH<sub>2</sub> with a lower energy barrier, thus driving a desired Eley-Rideal pathway and endowing strong tolerance against SO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O at low temperatures. This work provides a novel organic-inorganic hybrid strategy for designing robust low-temperature NH<sub>3</sub>-SCR catalysts with superior activity and poison resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 137036"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137005
He Guowen , Wu Dan , Ma Dechong , Li Yuanping , Wang Liqin , Yang Fanming , Li Yibing , Li Zhonglin
Arsenic(III) [As(III)] contamination in wastewater poses severe threats to ecosystems and human health, demanding efficient treatment technologies. Herein, a ternary magnetic TiO2/γ-Fe2O3/H-γ-AlOOH composite with synergistic photocatalytic oxidation and adsorption capabilities is novelly constructed via a sol–gel-hydrothermal method, using γ-Fe2O3/H-γ-AlOOH as the precursor. Comprehensive characterizations (XRD, FT-IR, BET, SEM/TEM, XPS, UV–Vis DRS, VSM) confirms that anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (≈15 nm) are uniformly coated on the precursor surface, forming a flower-like mesoporous structure (specific surface area of 116.48 m2 g−1, pore volume of 0.21 cm3 g−1, average pore size of 6.33 nm). The composite exhibits a saturation magnetization (MS) of 18.28 emu g−1 for rapid magnetic separation and a narrowed band gap (2.41 eV) for enhanced photocatalytic activity. Static adsorption experiments illustrate the saturated As(III) adsorption capacity is 93.25 ± 2.961 mg g−1, and Kinetic and isotherm analyses indicates the process conforms to the PSO model and Langmuir model, confirming monolayer chemical adsorption. Thermodynamic results (ΔG < 0, ΔH = 6.321 kJ mol−1, ΔS = 114.628 J mol−1 K−1) reveals spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-driven adsorption. The underlying mechanism demonstrates that TiO2 is photocatalysized to generate •O2− radicals under UV irradiation to oxidize most As(III) to As(V), both As(III) and As(V) then underwent ligand exchange with surface –OH groups of Al, Fe, and Ti components to form stable inner-sphere complexes. The as-constructed multifunctional composite integrates efficient oxidation, adsorption, magnetic recovery, and cyclic stability, offering a promising solution for As(III)-containing wastewater treatment and a strategy for designing heavy metal remediation materials.
{"title":"The ternary TiO2/γ-Fe2O3/γ-AlOOH magnetic composite adsorbent material with excellent catalytic oxidation-adsorption capacity for trivalent arsenic (As(III)): Material characterization, adsorption investigation, mechanism exploration","authors":"He Guowen , Wu Dan , Ma Dechong , Li Yuanping , Wang Liqin , Yang Fanming , Li Yibing , Li Zhonglin","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arsenic(III) [As(III)] contamination in wastewater poses severe threats to ecosystems and human health, demanding efficient treatment technologies. Herein, a ternary magnetic TiO<sub>2</sub>/<em>γ</em>-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/H-<em>γ</em>-AlOOH composite with synergistic photocatalytic oxidation and adsorption capabilities is novelly constructed via a sol–gel-hydrothermal method, using <em>γ</em>-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/H-<em>γ</em>-AlOOH as the precursor. Comprehensive characterizations (XRD, FT-IR, BET, SEM/TEM, XPS, UV–Vis DRS, VSM) confirms that anatase TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles (≈15 nm) are uniformly coated on the precursor surface, forming a flower-like mesoporous structure (specific surface area of 116.48 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>, pore volume of 0.21 cm<sup>3</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>, average pore size of 6.33 nm). The composite exhibits a saturation magnetization (MS) of 18.28 emu g<sup>−1</sup> for rapid magnetic separation and a narrowed band gap (2.41 eV) for enhanced photocatalytic activity. Static adsorption experiments illustrate the saturated As(III) adsorption capacity is 93.25 ± 2.961 mg g<sup>−1</sup>, and Kinetic and isotherm analyses indicates the process conforms to the PSO model and Langmuir model, confirming monolayer chemical adsorption. Thermodynamic results (<em>ΔG</em> < 0, <em>ΔH</em> = 6.321 kJ mol<sup>−1</sup>, <em>ΔS</em> = 114.628 J mol<sup>−1</sup> K<sup>−1</sup>) reveals spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-driven adsorption. The underlying mechanism demonstrates that TiO<sub>2</sub> is photocatalysized to generate •O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup> radicals under UV irradiation to oxidize most As(III) to As(V), both As(III) and As(V) then underwent ligand exchange with surface –OH groups of Al, Fe, and Ti components to form stable inner-sphere complexes. The as-constructed multifunctional composite integrates efficient oxidation, adsorption, magnetic recovery, and cyclic stability, offering a promising solution for As(III)-containing wastewater treatment and a strategy for designing heavy metal remediation materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 137005"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137037
Yanlin Zhang , Haiyan Lu , Dehao Yu , Yuhao Chen , Tengfang Zhang , Wenguang Wang , Haixiang Sun , Baosheng Ge
Advanced membrane separation technology exhibits great potential for achieving algae harvesting. However, it is challenging to solve the issues of membrane fouling caused by algal cells and extracellular organic matter. Herein, a polyaminophenylene (PAP) layer is constructed on the polyethersulfone (PES) microfiltration membrane surface through the diazonium-induced anchoring process (DIAP), followed by a two-step crosslinking reaction with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to form the modified layer with the silicon brush structure. Various physicochemical characterizations and molecular dynamic simulations elucidate that compared with the pristine PES membrane, the silicon brush structure causes the APTES-modified membranes (AMMs) to possess lower surface energy, lower interaction energy and higher electrostatic repulsion between pollutants and the surface, which significantly improve the membrane antifouling performance. The optimal membrane (AMM-0.5) demonstrates outstanding performance with high water permeance (nearly 2500 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1) and flux recovery rate (99.4%), and maintain stable operation with just approximately 10% flux decline during six chlorella harvesting concentration cycles. This study can provide an economical, sustainable separation technology of industrial-scale microalgae production for bioenergy, food and pharmaceutical sectors.
{"title":"Algae-resistant microfiltration membranes with silica brush structures for efficient chlorella harvesting","authors":"Yanlin Zhang , Haiyan Lu , Dehao Yu , Yuhao Chen , Tengfang Zhang , Wenguang Wang , Haixiang Sun , Baosheng Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advanced membrane separation technology exhibits great potential for achieving algae harvesting. However, it is challenging to solve the issues of membrane fouling caused by algal cells and extracellular organic matter. Herein, a polyaminophenylene (PAP) layer is constructed on the polyethersulfone (PES) microfiltration membrane surface through the diazonium-induced anchoring process (DIAP), followed by a two-step crosslinking reaction with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to form the modified layer with the silicon brush structure. Various physicochemical characterizations and molecular dynamic simulations elucidate that compared with the pristine PES membrane, the silicon brush structure causes the APTES-modified membranes (AMMs) to possess lower surface energy, lower interaction energy and higher electrostatic repulsion between pollutants and the surface, which significantly improve the membrane antifouling performance. The optimal membrane (AMM-0.5) demonstrates outstanding performance with high water permeance (nearly 2500 L·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>·bar<sup>−1</sup>) and flux recovery rate (99.4%), and maintain stable operation with just approximately 10% flux decline during six chlorella harvesting concentration cycles. This study can provide an economical, sustainable separation technology of industrial-scale microalgae production for bioenergy, food and pharmaceutical sectors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 137037"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137031
Karen Guillen-Cuevas, Caroline C. Hansen, Deepraj Sarmah, Marc R. Birtwistle, Scott M. Husson
Circular RNA (circRNA) is a promising therapeutic modality owing to its enhanced stability conferred by exonuclease resistance. However, large-scale production remains limited by inefficient purification methods, as the standard approach using size-exclusion chromatography suffers from peak overlap and low yield. Here, we present an ultrafiltration strategy for purifying circRNA using polycarbonate track-etched membranes with precisely controlled pore diameters. Membrane pore sizes were fine-tuned by gold plating to separate circular and linear RNA conformers. Sieving coefficients of purified RNA conformers were measured to establish operating conditions, and continuous diafiltration experiments were conducted within the range of flux values predicted to achieve both high purity and yield. This approach resulted in 94% purity and 59% yield of circRNA from in vitro transcription mixtures after six diavolumes. Transfection studies in HEK293T cells confirmed that diafiltered circRNA exhibited gene expression levels comparable to enzymatically purified circRNA, albeit with modestly reduced transfection efficiency. These results establish membrane-based ultrafiltration with tailored pore sizes as a scalable, non-chromatographic platform for purifying circRNA and provide a framework for further development toward therapeutic circRNA manufacturing.
{"title":"Purifying circRNA by ultrafiltration with membranes having well-defined pores","authors":"Karen Guillen-Cuevas, Caroline C. Hansen, Deepraj Sarmah, Marc R. Birtwistle, Scott M. Husson","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Circular RNA (circRNA) is a promising therapeutic modality owing to its enhanced stability conferred by exonuclease resistance. However, large-scale production remains limited by inefficient purification methods, as the standard approach using size-exclusion chromatography suffers from peak overlap and low yield. Here, we present an ultrafiltration strategy for purifying circRNA using polycarbonate track-etched membranes with precisely controlled pore diameters. Membrane pore sizes were fine-tuned by gold plating to separate circular and linear RNA conformers. Sieving coefficients of purified RNA conformers were measured to establish operating conditions, and continuous diafiltration experiments were conducted within the range of flux values predicted to achieve both high purity and yield. This approach resulted in 94% purity and 59% yield of circRNA from <em>in vitro</em> transcription mixtures after six diavolumes. Transfection studies in HEK293T cells confirmed that diafiltered circRNA exhibited gene expression levels comparable to enzymatically purified circRNA, albeit with modestly reduced transfection efficiency. These results establish membrane-based ultrafiltration with tailored pore sizes as a scalable, non-chromatographic platform for purifying circRNA and provide a framework for further development toward therapeutic circRNA manufacturing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 137031"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137034
Hailong Wang , Chenjian Ye , Ruijie Ge , Jianzhong Zhu , Binglu Teng
The practical application of electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation reaction (EAOR), in the clean treatment of ammonia-containing wastewater, is constrained by slow reaction kinetics and low selectivity of dinitrogen. In this study, a stable Ni-MIL(Cu)-S electrocatalyst by synergistic regulation of Cu sites through Ni/S on a MIL-like framework confining catalytic platform was constructed. It reveals that Ni serves as an electron trap while S acts as an electron donor, cooperatively optimizing the coordination electronic structure of Cu site. This accelerates its valence state cycling (Cu(II)/Cu(I)), lowering the energy barrier of EAOR. Wherein, the key step of “*NH₂ dimerization to form N–N bond” is preferably accelerated, effectively avoiding the generation of byproducts. Consequently, 98.70% NH4+-N removal rate and 98.03% N₂ selectivity were achieved with good cycling stability. This study provides a novel approach for electronic structure regulation in developing efficient and selective EAOR electrocatalysts.
电催化氨氧化反应（EAOR）在含氨废水清洁处理中的实际应用受到反应动力学缓慢和二氮选择性低的限制。本研究在类mil框架约束催化平台上，通过Ni/S对Cu位点进行协同调节，构建了稳定的Ni- mil (Cu)-S电催化剂。结果表明，Ni作为电子陷阱，S作为电子给体，协同优化了Cu位点的配位电子结构。这加速了其价态循环(Cu(II)/Cu(I))，降低了EAOR的能垒。其中，“* nh2二聚化形成N-N键”的关键步骤最好加快，有效避免了副产物的产生。NH4+-N去除率为98.70%，N选择性为98.03%，循环稳定性好。本研究为开发高效选择性EAOR电催化剂提供了电子结构调控的新途径。
{"title":"Accelerating Cu(II)/Cu(I) cycling via Ni/S synergy for selective and efficient electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation","authors":"Hailong Wang , Chenjian Ye , Ruijie Ge , Jianzhong Zhu , Binglu Teng","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The practical application of electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation reaction (EAOR), in the clean treatment of ammonia-containing wastewater, is constrained by slow reaction kinetics and low selectivity of dinitrogen. In this study, a stable Ni-MIL(Cu)-S electrocatalyst by synergistic regulation of Cu sites through Ni/S on a MIL-like framework confining catalytic platform was constructed. It reveals that Ni serves as an electron trap while S acts as an electron donor, cooperatively optimizing the coordination electronic structure of Cu site. This accelerates its valence state cycling (Cu(II)/Cu(I)), lowering the energy barrier of EAOR. Wherein, the key step of “*NH₂ dimerization to form N–N bond” is preferably accelerated, effectively avoiding the generation of byproducts. Consequently, 98.70% NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>-N removal rate and 98.03% N₂ selectivity were achieved with good cycling stability. This study provides a novel approach for electronic structure regulation in developing efficient and selective EAOR electrocatalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"390 ","pages":"Article 137034"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137014
Wei Shao , Xiuling Liu , Zhaojing Jing , Ziyang Guo , Xiaowen Huo , Weihao Zhang , Haitao Wang , Na Chang
The selective separation of lithium and magnesium by conventional nanofiltration (NF) membranes remains a major challenge for lithium extraction from salt-lake brine. This difficulty results from the extremely fast and disordered nature of the interfacial polymerization process, which hampers precise control over the pore size of the separation layer. In this study, to utilize the hollow internal cavity of the macrocycle, calix[4]arene was directly sulfonated to prepare hydrophilic sulfonated calix[4]arene (SC[4]A), which was incorporated as an aqueous-phase additive into the piperazine (PIP) solution. NF membranes were then fabricated via interfacial polymerization (IP) on a self-made polysulfone (PSf) substrate. The results demonstrated that SC[4]A effectively accelerated the kinetics of the IP reaction. More importantly, SC[4]A, which was ionically bonded into the polyamide (PA), served as the additional mass transfer channel and formed a separation layer with a smaller free volume, narrower pore size distribution, and enhanced negative surface charge. The prepared TFC-0.5 membrane exhibited a Li+/Mg2+ separation factor as high as 28.90, a 2.19-fold increase over the pristine membrane. Additionally, the incorporation of SC[4]A improved the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface, imparting superior antifouling properties to the modified membrane. By precisely regulating the IP process and tailoring the free volume of the separation layer, this study provides a new strategy for developing high-performance lithium‑magnesium separation NF membranes.
{"title":"Ionic interactions drive SC[4]A to regulate polyamide networks for achieving high-efficiency Li+/Mg2+ separation","authors":"Wei Shao , Xiuling Liu , Zhaojing Jing , Ziyang Guo , Xiaowen Huo , Weihao Zhang , Haitao Wang , Na Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The selective separation of lithium and magnesium by conventional nanofiltration (NF) membranes remains a major challenge for lithium extraction from salt-lake brine. This difficulty results from the extremely fast and disordered nature of the interfacial polymerization process, which hampers precise control over the pore size of the separation layer. In this study, to utilize the hollow internal cavity of the macrocycle, calix[4]arene was directly sulfonated to prepare hydrophilic sulfonated calix[4]arene (SC[4]A), which was incorporated as an aqueous-phase additive into the piperazine (PIP) solution. NF membranes were then fabricated via interfacial polymerization (IP) on a self-made polysulfone (PSf) substrate. The results demonstrated that SC[4]A effectively accelerated the kinetics of the IP reaction. More importantly, SC[4]A, which was ionically bonded into the polyamide (PA), served as the additional mass transfer channel and formed a separation layer with a smaller free volume, narrower pore size distribution, and enhanced negative surface charge. The prepared TFC-0.5 membrane exhibited a Li<sup>+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> separation factor as high as 28.90, a 2.19-fold increase over the pristine membrane. Additionally, the incorporation of SC[4]A improved the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface, imparting superior antifouling properties to the modified membrane. By precisely regulating the IP process and tailoring the free volume of the separation layer, this study provides a new strategy for developing high-performance lithium‑magnesium separation NF membranes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"391 ","pages":"Article 137014"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146042668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号