Chi-Linh Do-Thanh

Efficient CO2 capture by a task-specific porous organic polymer bifunctionalized with carbazole and triazine groups

A porous triazine and carbazole bifunctionalized task-specific polymer has been synthesized via a facile Friedel-Crafts reaction. The resultant porous framework exhibits excellent CO2 uptake (18.0 wt%, 273 K and 1 bar) and good adsorption selectivity for CO2 over N2.

Acidity of the amidoxime functional group in aqueous solution: a combined experimental and computational study.

Poly(acrylamidoxime) adsorbents are often invoked in discussions of mining uranium from seawater. While the amidoxime-uranyl chelation mode has been established, a number of essential binding constants remain unclear. This is largely due to the wide range of conflicting pK(a) values that have been reported for the amidoxime functional group. To resolve this existing controversy we investigated the pK(a) values of the amidoxime functional group using a combination of experimental and computational methods. Experimentally, we used spectroscopic titrations to measure the pK(a) values of representative amidoximes, acetamidoxime, and benzamidoxime. Computationally, we report on the performance of several protocols for predicting the pK(a) values of aqueous oxoacids. Calculations carried out at the MP2 or M06-2X levels of theory combined with solvent effects calculated using the SMD model provide the best overall performance, with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.46 pK(a) units and 0.45 pK(a) units, respectively. Finally, we employ our two best methods to predict the pK(a) values of promising, uncharacterized amidoxime ligands, which provides a convenient means for screening suitable amidoxime monomers for future generations of poly(acrylamidoxime) adsorbents.

Coordination effect-regulated CO2 capture with an alkali metal onium salts/crown ether system

A coordination effect was employed to realize equimolar CO2 absorption, adopting easily synthesized amino group containing absorbents (alkali metal onium salts). The essence of our strategy was to increase the steric hindrance of cations so as to enhance a carbamic acid pathway for CO2 capture. Our easily synthesized alkali metal amino acid salts or phenolates were coordinated with crown ethers, in which highly sterically hindered cations were obtained through a strong coordination effect of crown ethers with alkali metal cations. For example, a CO2 capacity of 0.99 was attained by potassium prolinate/18-crown-6, being characterized by NMR, FT-IR, and quantum chemistry calculations to go through a carbamic acid formation pathway. The captured CO2 can be stripped under very mild conditions (50 °C, N2). Thus, this protocol offers an alternative for the development of technological innovation towards efficient and low energy processes for carbon capture and sequestration.

Two-Dimensional Materials as Prospective Scaffolds for Mixed-Matrix Membrane-Based CO2 Separation

Membrane-based CO2 separation technology plays a significant role in environmental remediation and clean energy. Two-dimensional (2D) materials with atomically precise structures have emerged as prospective scaffolds to develop mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) for gas separation. Summarized in this perspective review are the latest breakthrough studies in the synthesis of 2D-material-based MMMs to separate CO2 from gas mixtures. 2D materials including graphene oxide (GO), metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived nanosheets, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), as fascinating building blocks, have been comprehensively summarized, together with a focus on synthetic processes and gas separation properties. Challenges and the latest advances in the manufacture of novel synthetic 2D materials are briefly discussed to foresee emerging opportunities for the development of new generations of 2D-material-based MMMs.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Novel Auxin Mimic Herbicides

Due to the key roles of auxins as master regulators of plant growth, there is considerable interest in the development of compounds with auxin-like properties for growth management and weed control applications. Herein, we describe the design and multistep synthesis of ten compounds bearing combinations of functional groups commonly associated with auxin-type properties. Following synthesis, these compounds were tested against multiple weed species as well as sweet corn. In general, while these structures were not quite as active as commercial auxin mimic herbicides, multiple compounds exhibited broadleaf weed activity with concurrent selectivity in sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. saccharum). In addition, differential results were observed upon subtle changes to structure, providing insights into the structural properties required for activity.

Separating Rare-Earth Elements with Ionic Liquids

The rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements; this group consists of scandium, yttrium, and 15 lanthanides. Due to their essential role in permanent magnets, lamp phosphors, catalysts, and rechargeable batteries, the REEs have become an essential component of the global transition to a green economy. Currently, with China producing over 90 % of the global REE output and its increasingly tightening export quota, the rest of the world is confronted with the potential risk of REE shortage. As such, many countries will have to rely on recycling REEs from pre-consumer scrap, industrial residues, and REE-containing end-of-life products. Over the course of the last two decades, ionic liquids have been increasingly used to separate REEs in the recycling process. Ionic liquids (ILs) are a class of molten salts that are liquid at temperatures below 100 °C. ILs are amenable to the recycling of REEs because the cation and anion components are readily tailored to a given process, and they offer numerous advantages over typical organic solvents, such as low volatility, low flammability, a broad temperature range of stability, the ability to dissolve both inorganic and organic compounds, high conductivity, and wide electrochemical windows. In this chapter, we discuss the performance of several IL-based extraction systems used to separate and recycle REEs.

Combined photoelectron, collision-induced dissociation, and computational studies of parent and fragment anions of N-paranitrophenylsulfonylalanine and N-paranitrophenylalanine

After synthesizing the compounds N-paranitrophenylsulfonylalanine (NPNPSA) and N-paranitrophenylalanine (NPNPA), the photoelectron spectrum of the valence anion of N-paranitrophenylsulfonylalanine (NPNPSA)(-), was measured and the collision-induced dissociation (CID) pathways of deprotonated N-paranitrophenylsulfonylalanine (NPNPSA-H)(-) and deprotonated N-paranitrophenylalanine (NPNPA-H)(-) were determined. Pertinent calculations were conducted to analyze both sets of experimental data. From the valence anion photoelectron spectrum of (NPNPSA)(-), the adiabatic electron affinity (AEA) of NPNPSA was determined to be 1.7 ± 0.1 eV, while the vertical detachment energy (VDE) of (NPNPSA)(-) was found to be 2.3 ± 0.1 eV. Calculations for four low lying conformers of (NPNPSA)(-) gave AEA values in the range of 1.6-2.1 eV and VDE values in the range of 2.0-2.4 eV. These calculations are in very good agreement with the experimental values. While the NPNPA anion (NPNPSA)(-) was not observed experimentally it was studied computationally. The six low lying (NPNPSA)(-) conformers were identified and calculated to have AEA values in the range of 0.7-1.2 eV and VDE values in the range of 0.9-1.6 eV. CID was used to study the fragmentation patterns of deprotonated NPNPA and deprotonated NPNPSA. Based on the CID data and calculations, the excess charge was located on the delocalized π-orbitals of the nitrobenzene moiety. This is made evident by the fact that the dominant fragments all contained the nitrobenzene moiety even though the parent anions used for the CID study were formed via deprotonation of the carboxylic acid. The dipole-bound anions of both molecules are studied theoretically using the results of previous studies on nitrobenzene as a reference.