In one embodiment, the invention relates to a carbon-based boron removal medium with hydroxyl groups and amine group, and in particular, to a method for forming the carbon-based boron removal medium. In a specific embodiment, nitrogen-doped (“N-doped”) graphene oxide is synthesized by a simple two-step process: (1) oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide, and (2) nitrogen-doping (“N-doping”) the graphene oxide to form the amine group. The resultant N-doped graphene oxide can efficiently remove boron from aqueous solutions. In another embodiment, a method of sensing or detecting the presence of boron in an aqueous solution by using a boron sensing medium comprises at least two hydroxyl groups and at least one pyridinic nitrogen or pyrrolic nitrogen or quaternary nitrogen (i.e. pyridoxine, in particular vitamin B6). The boron ions in the solution would form a highly ionized complex, which can cause significant increase in electrical conductivity of the solution, which can then be used to measure the concentration of boron in said solution.

Provided is a carbon dioxide absorbent including an ionic liquid including an imidazole-based anion and an aliphatic alcohol. Since an alcohol solvent included in the carbon dioxide absorbent according to one embodiment has low toxicity and a very high boiling point, the carbon dioxide absorbent has no problem of release into the atmosphere and consequent environmental pollution, and is chemically stable to significantly lower the possibility of release of decomposition products into the atmosphere. In addition, the carbon dioxide absorbent is also effective, since it may absorb carbon dioxide with a higher equivalent than an absorbent input equivalent, and has low regeneration energy so that carbon dioxide is easily desorbed.

Provided are compositions for removal of a target substance from a fluid stream, the composition comprising a polyamine; and a covalently linked hydrophobic group, wherein the polyamine is covalently linked to a support material. Also provided are processes for removal of a target substance from a fluid stream comprising contacting the fluid stream with a composition comprising a polyamine; and a covalently linked hydrophobic group, wherein the polyamine is covalently linked to a support material.

Provided is a desulfurizer for removing a sulfur compound contained in a fluid, comprising a desulfurization agent for removing the sulfur compound from the fluid and a housing which contains the desulfurization agent and the inside of which the fluid flows through. The desulfurization agent includes a metal organic framework. The metal organic framework has copper ions and organic ligands. The organic ligands include 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid and 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid.

Polypyrrole polymers functionalized with thioanions and methods for their use in metal capture applications are provided. Also provided are methods for making the polypyrroles using anion exchange techniques. The thioanion-functionalized polypyrroles have a conjugated, positively charged backbone of pyrrole units that is charge-balanced with associated thioanions.

Hybrid materials are disclosed including molecular/protein crystals integrated with synthetic polymers. The disclosed materials combine the structural order and periodicity of crystals, the adaptiveness and tunable mechanical properties of polymeric networks, and the chemical versatility of protein building blocks. Some of the properties of the disclosed materials include the following: 1) allows crystalswhich are typically rigid and brittleto expand and contract reversibly; 2) incorporates polymers to increase the mechanical toughness of the crystals and allow self-healing; 3) reversibly expand/contract crystal lattices and mobilize the protein components therein may provide a new means to improve X-ray diffraction quality and explore otherwise inaccessible protein structural states using 3D protein crystallography; 4) creation of chemically and mechanically differentiated domains within single crystals. Some example embodiments combine the properties of hydrogels (flexibility, adaptability, elasticity, self-healing), crystals (structural order) and proteins (chemical and genetic tailorability).

A bio-inspired method for detoxifying contaminated water is disclosed. In the method, polydopamine, a mussel-inspired adhesive catecholamine was used as an adsorbent to effectively remove from contaminated water three major classes of toxic agents: heavy metal ions (e.g., Cr, Hg, Pb, Cu, and Cd), toxic organic species (e.g., 4-aminopyridine), and radioisotopes (e.g., Lutetium-177). Furthermore, the polydopamine adsorbent was regenerated by treatment with acid or hydrogen peroxide.

The present invention relates to a sorbent which is suitable for binding metals from solutions, the production of a corresponding sorbent as well as the use of the sorbent for binding metals from solutions.

A process for producing an adsorption unit is disclosed, wherein an adsorber bed of the adsorption unit is filled with a bed of an adsorbent which is selected from a multitude of adsorbents by a test method, wherein, in the test method, a particle of each adsorbent is repeatedly laden with a sorbate and regenerated again, which converts the particle to an aged particle, and a fracture property B of the aged particle of each adsorbent is determined, wherein the adsorbent for the bed is selected depending on the fracture property B determined from the multitude of adsorbents.

The instant disclosure sets forth a process for re-activating a mineral residue. The process includes providing a mineral residue, which includes a core and a shell around the core. In certain examples, the core comprises calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), or a combination thereof. The Ca and Mg is not present as elemental Ca or Mg but rather as a compound of Ca or of Mg, such as but not limited to Ca(OH).sub.2 or Mg(OH).sub.2. In certain examples, the shell comprises an oxide, a hydroxide, a carbonate, a silicate, a sulfite, a sulfate, a chloride, a nitrate, or nitrite, of calcium (Ca) or of magnesium (Mg), or a combination thereof. The process includes (a) fractionating the mineral residue; (b) contacting the mineral residue with an acid and fractionating the mineral residue; or (c) contacting the mineral residue with a base and fractionating the mineral residue. As a result, the mineral residue's core is exposed. In some examples, the shell is passivating and inhibits the Ca or Mg, or both, in the core from reacting with carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2). By exposing the core as described herein, a mineral residue's reactivity with carbon dioxide is increased.