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.

Methods, compositions, devices and kits having a novel chromatographic material are provided herein for separating and identifying organic molecules and compounds, for example molecules and compounds containing electron rich functional groups such as carbon-carbon double bonds. The methods, compositions, and kits include a metal-thiolate chromatographic medium (MTCM) with a sulfur-containing functional group or a metal-selenolate chromatographic medium (MSCM) comprising a selenium-containing functional group covalently attached to a support medium, such that the sulfur-containing functional group or selenium-containing functional group is bound to at least one metal atom. The MTCM and/or MSCM has affinity and specificity to compounds having one or more carbon-carbon double bonds, and performs a highly efficient and rapid separation of samples yielding non-overlapping peaks of purified materials compared to traditional media.

To provide an oxygen storage material that is capable of exhibiting an excellent oxygen storage capacity (OSC) even at a low temperature of about 300 C. and has a sufficiently high efficiency of use of cerium contained therein. An oxygen storage material including a ceria-zirconia-copper oxide-based composite oxide that contains cerium, zirconium, and copper, in which at least part of the copper is solid-dissolved in a composite oxide of the cerium and the zirconium, the ceria-zirconia-copper oxide-based composite oxide has a composition expressed by the following chemical formula (1):
Ce.sub.xZr.sub.yCu.sub.zO.sub.2-z(1) where x, y, and z are numbers each satisfying conditions of x=0.3 to 0.7, y=0.15 to 0.7 (exclusive of y=0.7), z=0 to 0.15 (exclusive of z=0), and x+y+z=1, and a specific surface area of the ceria-zirconia-copper oxide-based composite oxide is 2 to 50 m.sup.2/g.

A method is described for preparing a sorbent including the steps of: (i) mixing together a particulate copper sulphide material, a particulate support material and one or more binders, (ii) shaping the mixture, and (iii) drying the shaped mixture to form a dried sorbent.

Methods for fabricating a membrane with an organosilica material which is a polymer comprising independent units of Formula [Z.sup.3Z.sup.4SiCH.sub.2].sub.3 (I), wherein each Z.sup.3 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another unit or an active site on the support and each Z.sup.4 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group, an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another unit or an active site on the support are provided. Methods of removing a contaminant from a hydrocarbon stream are also provided.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to extraction of target materials using a CZTS sorbent. A method of extracting a target material from a medium includes contacting a copper zinc tin sulfur (CZTS) sorbent with the target material in the medium including the target material to form a used CZTS sorbent that includes the target material. The method also includes separating the used CZTS sorbent from the medium.

As an improvement to processes for desulfurization of natural gas and synthetic natural gas streams that employ conventional zeolitic materials (absorbents), including copper-containing zeolites, pre-treatment methods and post-treatment methods are provided that lower the level of leachable benzene following desulfurization with the absorbents to <0.5 mg benzene/L leachate, while retaining within the absorbents a majority of sulfur adsorbed from a gas stream.

The invention relates to a material for storing and releasing oxygen, consisting of a reactive ceramic made of copper, manganese and iron oxides, wherein, subject to the oxygen partial pressure of a surrounding atmosphere and/or an ambient temperature, the reactive ceramic has a transition region that can be passed through any number of times, said transition region being between a discharge threshold state of a three-phase crednerite/cuprite/hausmannite mixed ceramic and a charge threshold state of a two-phase spinel/tenorite mixed ceramic. A passing through of the transition region from the discharge threshold state towards the charging threshold state is associated with oxygen uptake and a passing through of the transition region from the charge threshold state towards the discharge threshold state is associated with oxygen release.

Methods, compositions, devices and kits having a novel chromatographic material are provided herein for separating and identifying organic molecules and compounds, for example molecules and compounds containing electron rich functional groups such as carbon-carbon double bonds. The methods, compositions, and kits include a metal-thiolate chromatographic medium (MTCM) with a sulfur-containing functional group or a metal-selenolate chromatographic medium (MSCM) comprising a selenium-containing functional group covalently attached to a support medium, such that the sulfur-containing functional group or selenium-containing functional group is bound to at least one metal atom. The MTCM and/or MSCM has affinity and specificity to compounds having one or more carbon-carbon double bonds, and performs a highly efficient and rapid separation of samples yielding non-overlapping peaks of purified materials compared to traditional media.

The invention is a method of and system for removing bacteria and other contaminants in water by utilizing bentonite clay impregnated with metal ion, such as silver or copper ion. The method and system may alternatively or additionally include a cation exchange resin impregnated with metal ion, such as silver or copper ion.