The object of the invention is to provide an adsorbent that can adsorb ammonia with no large volume change between absorption and desorption, that has a high ammonia and/or ammonium ion adsorption capacity, and that can have an additional function by gaining proper control of composition, etc. The invention makes it possible to provide an adsorbent that absorbs ammonia and/or ammonium ions through the use of a metal cyanocomplex as an ammonia adsorbent, experiences no or little volume change, exhibits high enough capacity for adsorbing ammonia and/or ammonium ions, and has a function of decomposing ammonia as well as a function of varying optical responses before and after adsorption, etc.

Methods for synthesizing macroscale 3D heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials (such as boron doped carbon nanotube materials) and compositions thereof. Macroscopic quantities of three-dimensionally networked heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials are directly grown using an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. The porous heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube material is created by doping of heteroatoms (such as boron) in the nanotube lattice during growth, which influences the creation of elbow joints and branching of nanotubes leading to the three dimensional super-structure. The super-hydrophobic heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube sponge is strongly oleophilic and can soak up large quantities of organic solvents and oil. The trapped oil can be burnt off and the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube material can be used repeatedly as an oil removal scaffold. Optionally, the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotubes in the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials can be welded to form one or more macroscale 3D carbon nanotubes.

An absorbent composition having a bismuth material on a support containing at least one of a metal oxide, a metalloid oxide or an activated carbon and methods of making and using the same. The adsorbent composition is usful for adsorbing arsine from a fluid stream.

The present invention covers a novel method for creating an adsorbent and the resulting novel adsorbent. The method may be used to remove pollutants/unwanted chemicals from water, air, other gases, biological fluids (such as blood, urine, lipids, protein fluids), and other fluids (such as fuel). The adsorbent may be used to remove heavy metals (for example, lead), organic pollutants, inorganic non-meal pollutants (for example, nitrates and bromates). Accordingly, the current invention has many applications including but not limited to water treatment, wastewater treatment, biomedical fluid treatments, gas cleanup, and fuel (oil, gas) cleanup.

Carbonaceous material that is activated to form precursor activated carbon is further enhanced by doping with copper and nitrogen and calcining. The resultant sorbent material has excellent catalytic properties which are useful in the field of fluid purification.

An antibiological sorbent can include sorbent material (e.g., porous carbon, activated carbon, inorganic carbon, organic carbon, etc.), antibiological material, optionally a functionalizing material, and/or any other suitable material. The antibiological material (and/or the functionalizing material) can coat, intercalate within (e.g., within a porous network of), form structures on, be disposed on, bind to, and/or otherwise be interfaced to the sorbent material. A method for manufacturing the antibiological sorbent can include: mixing sorbent material with a precursor; optionally, functionalizing (e.g., activating) the sorbent material; forming antibiological material from the precursor; optionally, post-processing (e.g., washing) the resulting material; and/or any suitable steps.

A porous activated asphaltene material is described with a method of making and a method of using for the adsorption of a contaminant from a solution. The porous activated asphaltene material may be made by functionalizing solid asphaltene with nitric acid, and then treating the product with a metal hydroxide. The resulting porous activated asphaltene material exhibits a high porosity, and may be cleaned and reused for adsorbing contaminants.

Methods for synthesizing macroscale 3D heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials (such as boron doped carbon nanotube materials) and compositions thereof. Macroscopic quantities of three-dimensionally networked heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials are directly grown using an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. The porous heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube material is created by doping of heteroatoms (such as boron) in the nanotube lattice during growth, which influences the creation of elbow joints and branching of nanotubes leading, to the three dimensional super-structure. The super-hydrophobic heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube sponge is strongly oleophilic and can soak up large quantities of organic solvents and oil. The trapped oil can be burnt off and the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube material can be used repeatedly as an oil removal scaffold. Optionally, the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotubes in the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials can be welded to form one or more macroscale 3D carbon nanotubes.

Methods for synthesizing macroscale 3D heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials (such as boron doped carbon nanotube materials) and compositions thereof. Macroscopic quantities of three-dimensionally networked heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials are directly grown using an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. The porous heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube material is created by doping of heteroatoms (such as boron) in the nanotube lattice during growth, which influences the creation of elbow joints and branching of nanotubes leading to the three dimensional super-structure. The super-hydrophobic heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube sponge is strongly oleophilic and can soak up large quantities of organic solvents and oil. The trapped oil can be burnt off and the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube material can be used repeatedly as an oil removal scaffold. Optionally, the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotubes in the heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials can be welded to form one or more macroscale 3D carbon nanotubes.

Mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (MGCN) materials and method of making said MGCN materials is described. The MGCN materials include a three dimensional cyanamide based carbon nitride matrix having tunable pore diameters, a pore volume between 0.40 and 0.80 cm.sup.3 g.sup.1, and a surface area of 195 to 300 m.sup.2 gm.sup.1. The matrix comprises sheets of three dimensionally arranged s-heptazine (tri-s-triazine) units. The MGCN materials are used as catalysts in aldol condensation reactions, in particular Knoevenagel reactions. The mesoporous structure is obtained by means of a silica template like KIT-6, which is removed after polymerisation of the cyanamide monomers.