This invention provides processes for reducing the environmental availability of one or more environmental pollutants in solids, liquids, and combinations of solids and liquids.

Methods for the manufacture of sorbent compositions, sorbent compositions and methods for using the sorbent compositions. The methods include the utilization of an acidic halogen solution as a source of a halogen species that is dispersed on a solid sorbent. The use of the acidic halogen solution results in a highly active halogen species that demonstrates improved efficacy for the removal of heavy metal(s) from a flue gas. The sorbent composition includes a substantially amorphous halogen species associated with a solid sorbent such as powdered activated carbon (PAC).

Coated iron oxide (10) nanocrystal structures, superparamagnetic 10 nanoparticles, methods for synthesizing coated 10 nanocrystal structures, and methods for synthesizing superparamagnetic 10 nanoparticles are described herein. A coated 10 nanocrystal structure may comprise an iron oxide core, a manganese ferrite shell layer surrounding the core, and a bilayer coating surrounding the shell layer. The bilayer coating may include an inner oleic acid layer surrounding the shell layer and an outer layer surrounding the inner oleic acid layer.

A method of treating wood chips to be used as a media for ameliorating oil spills on land or water involves heating in a mixture of petroleum wax and vegetable oil to remove moisture content and open the pores of the wood chip to allow the oil/wax blend to penetrate into the interior of the wood chips and subsequently grinding up the chips to a predetermined mesh size. The ground chips impregnated with wax/oil are then blended with magnetic iron ore concentrate and packaged/bagged for later distribution on an oil slick. The magnetic iron ore concentrate clings to the ground, oil/wax coated wood chips and facilitates retrieving the ground chips that have absorbed the spilled oil using a magnetic pick-up.

Disclosed is a method of supported liquid extraction (SLE), wherein adsorption of at least one analyte to a solid phase is performed in the presence of salt. The method may include contacting a sample with salt, adsorption phase such as diatomaceous earth and optionally a subsequent step of phospholipid depletion. Also disclosed is a cartridge including two compartments, for salt and adsorption phase, and optionally a third compartment including a phospholipid depletion phase.

A sorbent useful for CO.sub.2 capture is described, including a solid support with CO.sub.2-sorbing amine and ionic liquid thereon. The ionic liquid is catalytically effective to enhance sorbent characteristics such as (i) CO.sub.2 sorption capacity, (ii) CO.sub.2 sorption rate, (iii) CO.sub.2 desorption capacity, (iv) CO.sub.2 desorption rate, and (v) regeneration temperature, in relation to a corresponding sorbent lacking the ionic liquid. In specific implementations, the sorbent is regenerable at temperatures significantly below 100 C., thereby avoiding the need for steam heat desorption and enabling utilization of waste heat or other low energy thermal regeneration sources.

The present invention relates to a method and/or device for improving the separation behaviors and performance of aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for the isolation and/or concentration of one or more target analytes from a sample. In one embodiment, the present method and device comprise ATPS components within a porous material and one or more phase separation behavior modifying agents that improve the separation behavior and performance characteristics of ATPS, including but not limited to the increasing the stability or reducing fluctuations of ATPS thought the adjustment of total volume of a sample solution that undergoes phase separation, volume ratio of the two phases of the ATPS, fluid flow rates, and concentrations of ATPS components.

According to the method and device for a membrane-based processing of ambient water-group species, the species are captured in a space environment by an ionic liquid disposed on a presenting face of a semipermeable membrane. To seamlessly process the captured species for in-situ resource utilization without need of moving parts, they are urged to pass through the membrane by a predetermined electric potential difference applied between opposite sides of the membrane via electrode contacts; an initial storage envelope is provided by an impermeable membrane attached to a back face of the semipermeable membrane. The device can be stowed in a manner of rolled plastic and deployed by unrolling. The device can also be configured as a scientific instrument to monitor a flux of ambient water-group species impinging in the space environment using electrical measurements.

In accordance with one aspect of the presently disclosed inventive concepts, a porous ceramic structure includes a three-dimensional printed structure having predefined features, where the three-dimensional structure has a geometric shape. The average length of the features may be at least 10 microns. The three-dimensional structure includes a ceramic material having an open cell structure with a plurality of pores, where the pores form continuous channels through the ceramic material from one side of the ceramic material to an opposite side of the ceramic material.

Provided are sequestering agents for sequestering non-water moieties from an aqueous solution. The sequestering agents may comprise a detergent; and a polymer operable to stabilize formation of a detergent micelle thereby causing the detergent and polymer to self-assemble into a nanonet upon exposure to the aqueous solution. Also provided are kits therefore and methods for use of the sequestering agents and kits.