The present invention relates to a carbon sorbent the can selectively remove platinum-group metals and other heavy metals such as tin without co-removing organic synthesis products including pharmaceutical intermediates and finished Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). The carbon sorbents of the present invention are made from low-cost, high purity starting materials and the resulting carbon sorbents are also very pure. The carbon sorbents possess a combination of certain nitrogen and phosphorous groups combined with mesoporosity (2 to 50 nm diameter pores) that proves the high metal adsorption.

A method of separating a metal organic framework (MOF) from a solution and associated apparatus. The method comprises: providing a MOF containing solution; contacting the MOF containing solution with an acoustic reflector surface such that, any high frequency ultrasound applied within the MOF containing solution reflects off the acoustic reflector surface; and applying a high frequency ultrasound of at least 20 kHz to the MOF containing solution. The MOF material is substantially separated from solution as aggregated sediment that settles out of solution.

A substrate includes a double-network polymer system including a cross-linked, covalently-bonded polymer and a reversible, partially ionicly-bonded polymer, wherein the substrate has a moisture level less than or equal to 15 percent of the total weight of the substrate, wherein the substrate is porous, and wherein the substrate includes a latent retractive force. A method for manufacturing a substrate includes producing a double-network hydrogel including a cross-linked, covalently-bonded polymer and a reversible, ionicly-bonded polymer; elongating by force the double-network hydrogel in at least one direction; treating the double-network hydrogel with an organic solvent with a volatile and water-miscible organic solvent to replace a majority of water within the double-network hydrogel; evaporating the organic solvent while the double-network hydrogel is still elongated to form a substantially-dried double-network polymer system; and releasing the force to produce the substrate.

A separation medium consisting of a cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (CD-MOF) for separating aromatic compounds and methods of preparing the same are presented. Bottom-up preparations include the following steps: (a) preparing a first mixture comprising a cyclodextrin, an alkali metal salt, water and an alcohol; (b) performing one of the following two steps: (i) stirring the first mixture; or (ii) adding an amount of a surfactant to the first mixture to form a second mixture; and (c) crystallizing the CD-MOF from the first mixture or the second mixture. Top-down preparations include the following steps: (a) preparing a first mixture comprising the cyclodextrin, an alkali metal salt, water and an alcohol; (b) crystallizing the CD-MOF from the first mixture; and (c) optionally performing particle size reduction of the crystallized CD-MOF. The CD-MOFs are amenable for use in methods for separating alkylaromatic and haloaromatic compounds from a mixture of hydrocarbons.

The present disclosure relates to a material comprising an oxide of an alkaline earth metal, wherein the oxide of the alkaline earth metal is doped with an anion. In particular embodiments, the material comprises MgO doped with an anion selected from the group consisting of chloride, sulfate, phosphate and any mixtures thereof. The present disclosure also relates to a method for preparing the material, a method for adsorbing CO2 from an environment and the use of the material to adsorb CO2 from an environment.

Described are adsorbent materials that are useful to remove airborne molecular contamination from a stream of gas, and that include a porous adsorbent base having potassium hydroxide ion and potassium carbonate applied to surfaces of the adsorbent base, as well as devices that include the adsorbent and related methods of preparing and using the adsorbent.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for easily and efficiently producing cellulose beads which have pore shape suitable for an adsorbent and of which adsorption performance is excellent without using highly toxic and highly corrosive auxiliary raw material and without industrially disadvantageous cumbersome step. The method for producing porous cellulose beads according to the present invention is characterized in comprising (a) the step of preparing a fine cellulose dispersion by mixing a low temperature alkaline aqueous solution and cellulose, (b) the step of preparing a mixed liquid by adding a crosslinking agent to the fine cellulose dispersion, (c) the step of preparing an emulsion by dispersing the mixed liquid in a dispersion medium, (d) the step of contacting the emulsion with a coagulating solvent.

A solidified porous carbon material uses a plant-derived material as a raw material, a bulk density of the solidified porous carbon material is in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.3 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3. A value of a cumulative pore volume in the range of 0.05 to 5 m in pore size based on a mercury press-in method is in the range of 0.4 to 1.2 cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.5 to 1.0 cm.sup.3 per 1 gram of the solidified porous carbon material.

A method of preparing a porous carbon material is provided. The method comprises a) freezing a liquid mixture comprising a polymer suspended or dissolved in a solvent to form a frozen mixture; b) removing the solvent from the frozen mixture to form a porous frozen mixture; and c) pyrolyzing the porous frozen mixture to obtain the porous carbon material. A porous carbon material prepared using the method, and uses of the porous carbon material are also provided.

The invention relates to a method of chromatography wherein a gaseous, liquid or supercritical fluid mobile phase, which contains substances to be separated, flows through a porous packing which comprises a plurality of capillary channels which extend in the direction of flow of said mobile phase, said packing being manufactured by a method wherein: a bundle of elementary fibres is assembled, said fibres comprising a core made of a solid, liquid or gaseous material, and a shell made of a drawable material, said bundle is drawn in order to reduce the diameter of said fibres, a porous matrix is formed around the core of the drawn fibres, the formation of said porous matrix comprising a transformation of the shell material, where said porous matrix comprises at least one population of connected pores interconnecting the channels, where the thickness of the porous matrix between two adjacent channels is less than the diameter of the channels, preferably less than half the diameter of the channels, where necessary the core material is removed so as to leave free channels in the porous matrix.