The present invention provides novel chromatographic materials, e.g., for chromatographic separations, processes for their preparation and separations devices containing the chromatographic materials. The preparation of the inorganic/organic hybrid materials of the invention wherein a surrounding material is condensed on a superficially porous hybrid core material will allow for families of different hybrid packing materials to be prepared from a single core hybrid material. Differences in hydrophobicity, ion-exchange capacity, chemical stability, surface charge or silanol activity of the surrounding material may be used for unique chromatographic separations of small molecules, carbohydrates, antibodies, whole proteins, peptides, and/or DNA.

A functional ceramic material made from a raw material mixture which includes 0.1-0.5 wt % iron powder, 20-25 wt % bentonite, and a remainder of sludge (based on dry weight) which contains bacteria. To make the functional ceramic material, the raw material mixture is calcined at low temperature and anaerobic conditions. Use of the material for purifying a medium is also provided.

An absorbent article containing a nonwoven web that includes a plurality of polyolefin fibers is provided. The polyolefin fibers are formed by a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and nanoinclusion additive is provided. The nanoinclusion additive is dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete nano-scale phase domains. When drawn, the nano-scale phase domains are able to interact with the matrix in a unique manner to create a network of nanopores.

A high-surface-area, highly porous manganese oxide (MnOx) in the form of xerogel or aerogel monoliths or powders comprising a manganese oxide nanoarchitecture comprising an interior surface area >200 m.sup.2 g.sup.1, wherein the MnOx gel has a void structure comprising pores that are sized from 2-150 nm, and wherein the manganese oxide nanoarchitecture removes toxic gas from a toxic gas and air mixture at room temperature via an oxidative mechanism that converts the toxic gas to an innocuous adsorbed substance. These high-surface-area, ultraporous manganese oxide (MnOx) xerogels and aerogels exhibit outstanding filtration performance for multiple, chemically distinct toxic gases, including ammonia, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. These MnOx materials use multiple mechanisms for small molecule capture/catalysis including molecular sieving and oxidative decomposition, and function in a wide range of humidity conditions.

A process for the preparation of an amorphous mesoporous and macroporous alumina: at least once dissolving an acidic precursor of aluminium, adjusting pH by adding at least one basic precursor to the suspension obtained in a), co-precipitation of the suspension obtained from b) by adding at least one basic precursor and at least one acidic precursor to the suspension, filtration, drying, shaping and heat treatment. An amorphous mesoporous and macroporous alumina with bimodal pore structure: a specific surface area S.sub.BET more than 100 m.sup.2/g; a median mesopore diameter, by volume determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry, 18 nm or more; a median macropore diameter, by volume determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry, 100 to 1200 nm, limits included; a mesopore volume, as measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry, 0.7 mL/g or more; and a total pore volume, as measured by mercury porosimetry, 0.8 mL/g or more.

Stationary phase materials for performing size exclusion chromatography are provided. The stationary phase materials include porous inorganic-organic hybrid particles surface-modified with a hydroxy-terminated polyethylene glycol silane.

A specially functionalized composite filter material with a high specific surface area is used to adsorb PFAs from potable water. In a preferred embodiment, the base filter material is granular activated carbon (GAC), which is sequentially coated with a thin layer of polydopamine, a thin layer of partially oxidized iron, and a thin coating of octadecylamine. After PFAs are adsorbed onto the coated GAC particles, the PFAs are removed by a rinsing process, and remain in the rinse effluent. GAC particles are recovered and recoated as needed to restore their adsorptive capacity. The PFA-containing effluent is treated using photochemical processes to destroy the PFA molecules. The now PFA-free effluent can be disposed of as a non-hazardous material. The composite filter material works in systems ranging from small passive systems for personal use to large scale, high-flow-rate utility water treatment systems.

A method for removing a fluorine-containing compound from discharge water, which includes bringing discharge water containing two or more fluorine-containing compounds represented by the following general formula (1) or (2) into contact with an adsorbent so as to adsorb the two or more fluorine-containing compounds:
(H(CF.sub.2).sub.mCOO).sub.pM.sup.1General Formula (1):
wherein m is 3 to 19, M.sup.1 is H, a metal atom, NR.sup.b.sub.4, where R.sup.b is the same or different and is H or an organic group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, imidazolium optionally having a substituent, pyridinium optionally having a substituent, or phosphonium optionally having a substituent; and p is 1 or 2;
(H(CF.sub.2).sub.nSO.sub.3).sub.qM.sup.2General Formula (2):
wherein n is 4 to 20; M.sup.2 is H, a metal atom, NR.sup.b.sub.4, where R.sup.b is the same as above, imidazolium optionally having a substituent, pyridinium optionally having a substituent, or phosphonium optionally having a substituent; and q is 1 or 2.

A lithium adsorption molded body includes a lithium adsorbent and a copolymer including a repeating unit represented by ##STR00001##
and a repeating unit represented by ##STR00002##
in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently hydrogen or a C1 to C10 alkyl group.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional ordered porous microstructure. In the method of the invention where the three-dimensional ordered microstructure is produced using the colloidal crystal templating process, the three-dimensional ordered microstructure thus formed is subjected to heat treatment to soften the particles, so as to effectively increase the contact between orderly arranged particles while removing the solvent used to suspend the particles. The present invention further relates to a monolithic column produced thereby. Compared to the monolithic columns produced by conventional methods, the monolithic column according to the invention is characterized in having a higher aspect ratio and a higher pore regularity, while the connecting pores in the column are relatively large in pore size.