Phosphate material LiMnPO₄ is popular for its high energy density (697 W·h·kg^-1) and safety. When LiMnPO₄ crystal grows, the potential barrier along b and c axis is strong, which makes the crystal grow along b axis to form a one-dimensional chain structure. However, the main migration channel of lithium ions in olivine structure is plane (0 1 0). By shortening the growth in the direction of b axis and enhancing the diffusion along the directions of a and c, two-dimensional nanosheets that are more conducive to the migration of lithium ions are formed. The dosage of polyols is the key factor guiding the dispersion of the crystals to the (0 1 0) plane. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and other means are used to characterize the samples. After experiments, we found that when the ratio of polyol/water was 2:1, the morphology of the synthesized sample was 20-30 nm thick nanosheets, which had the best electrochemical performance. At 0.1C, the discharge specific capacity reaches 148.9 mA·h·g^-1, still reaches 144.3 mA·h·g^-1 at the 50th cycle. and there is still 112.5 mA·h·g^-1 under high rate (5C). This is thanks to the good dispersion of the material in the direction of the crystal plane (0 1 0). This can solve the problem of low conductivity and ionic mobility of phosphate materials.

Catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) have gained popularity among membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabricators for their abilities and advantages compared with those of other methods, such as catalyst-coated substrates (CCSs). CCMs show a profound new analysis for reducing platinum (Pt) catalyst loading. In addition, they increase the total number of reactions that occur on the MEA because of their active area amplification, which leads to an improved catalyst-utilization efficiency rate. Moreover, several characteristics are involved in the MEA fabrication methods. Material-manufacturing effects with regard to catalyst inks and analysis of the overall performance of MEAs prepared by the CCM and CCS methods are deliberated. This deliberation emphasizes the practical approaches in minimizing performance deterioration during the fabrication of MEAs using the CCM method and converses the commercialization of the CCM fabrication method toward developing an end product. Novel research is required for MEA fabrication using the CCM methods to ensure that the fuel cell performance is improved. Therefore, this review is focusing on the pros and cons of both distinguished methods, that is, CCM and CCS fabrication, for better comparison.

Cyclohexanol is a commonly used organic compound. Currently, the most promising industrial process for synthesizing cyclohexanol, by cyclohexene hydration, suffers from a low conversion rate and difficult separation. In this paper, a three-column process for catalytic distillation applicable in the hydration of cyclohexene to cyclohexanol was established to solve these. Simulation with Aspen Plus shows that the process has good advantages, the conversion of cyclohexene reached 99.3%, and the product purity was ≥99.2%. The stable operation of the distillation system requires a good control scheme. The design of the control scheme is very important. However, at present, the reactive distillation process for cyclohexene hydration is under investigation experimentally and by steady-state simulation. Therefore, three different plant-wide control schemes were established (CS1, CS2, CS3) and the position of temperature sensitive stage was selected by using sensitivity analysis method and singular value decomposition method. The Tyreus-Luyben empirical tuning method was used to tune the controller parameters. Finally, Aspen Dynamics simulation software was used to evaluate the performance of the three control schemes. By introducing ΔF ±20% and x_ENE ±5%, comparison the changes in product purity and yield of the three different control schemes. By comparison, we can see that the control scheme CS3 has the best performance.

With the development of digital products, electric vehicles and energy storage technology, electronic chemicals play an increasingly prominent role in the field of new energy such as lithium-ion batteries. Electronic chemicals have attracted extensive attention in various fields. Characteristics of high-end electronic chemicals are high purity and low impurity content, which requires a very strict separation and purification process. At present, crystallization is a key technology for their separation and purification of electronic chemicals. In this work, the representative fluorine-containing compounds in cathode and anode materials, separator and electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries are introduced. The latest technologies for the preparation and purification of four kinds of fluorine-containing battery chemicals by crystallization technology are reviewed. In addition, the research prospects and suggestions are put forward for the separation of fluorine-containing battery chemicals.

Recent years, membrane separation technology has attracted significant research attention because of the efficient and environmentally friendly operation. The selection of suitable materials to improve the membrane selectivity, permeability and other properties has become a topic of vital research relevance. Two-dimensional (2D) materials, a novel family of multifunctional materials, are widely used in membrane separation due to their unique structure and properties. In this respect, as a novel 2D material, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) have found specific attention in membrane separation. This study reviews the application of carbon nitride in gas separation membranes, pervaporation membranes, nanofiltration membranes, reverse osmosis membranes, ion exchange membranes and catalytic membranes, along with describing the separation mechanisms.

Solid phase extraction is widely used in sample pretreatment, concentration and analysis processes due to high selectivity and suitability for low concentration sample system. In this review, we systematically summarized and discussed the development trends of solid phase extraction by bibliometrics method. By analyzing papers output scale, the research and development direction of solid phase extraction technology is prospected. We also give an overview on current strategies of novel solid phase extraction from the separation medium and separation technology. The paper aims to describe the global research profile and the development trends of solid phase extraction, to help researchers to accurately grasp the research trend and to provide support for scientific research institutions to formulate scientific policies and strategic plans. Furthermore, the prospect of the development and application of solid phase extraction is also discussed.

Ammonium phosphate fertilizer is the compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorus that are usually produced through the neutralization reaction of phosphoric acid and ammonia. At present, there are a variety of products, such as slurry monoammonium phosphate (MAP), diammonium phosphate (DAP), industrial grade MAP, water soluble MAP, water soluble ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and so on. After more than 60 years of development, China’s ammonium phosphate fertilizer industry has experienced the road of from scratch and from weak to strong. The successful development of the slurry MAP technology ended the history that the high concentration phosphate fertilizer cannot be produced by using the medium and low grade phosphate ore. The continuous, stable and large-scale production of DAP plant provides sufficient guarantee for DAP products in China. The development of new ammonium phosphate fertilizer products, such as industrial grade MAP, water soluble MAP, water soluble APP, provides technical support for the transformation and upgrading of phosphorus chemical enterprises. In this paper, the production methods, the development history and the latest research progress of ammonium phosphate fertilizers were reviewed.

This review compares the different types of membrane processes for air dehumidification. Three main categories of membrane-based dehumidification are identified – membrane contactors using porous membranes with concentrated liquid desiccants, separative membranes using dense membrane morphology with a pressure gradient to drive the separation of moisture from air, and adsorptive membranes using nanofibrous membranes which adsorb and capture moisture to realise dehumidification. Drawing upon the importance of dehumidification and humidity control for urban sustainability and energy efficacy, this review critically analyses and recognizes the three unique categories of membrane-based air dehumidification technologies. Essentially, the discussion is broken into three sections-one for each category-discriminating in terms of the driving force, membrane structure and properties, and its performance indicators. Readers will notice that despite having the same objective to dehumidify air, the polymers used amongst each category differs to suit the operating requirements and optimize dehumidification performance. At the end of each section, a performance table or summary of dehumidifying membranes in its class is provided. The final section concludes with a comparative review of the three categories on membrane-based air dehumidification technologies and draw inspiration from parallel research to rationalise the potential and innovative use of promising materials in membrane fabrication for air dehumidification.

Since the global outbreak of COVID-19, membrane technology for clinical treatments, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and protective masks and clothing, has attracted intense research attention for its irreplaceable abilities. Membrane research and applications are now playing an increasingly important role in various fields of life science. In addition to intrinsic properties such as size sieving, dissolution and diffusion, membranes are often endowed with additional functions as cell scaffolds, catalysts or sensors to satisfy the specific requirements of different clinical applications. In this review, we will introduce and discuss state-of-the-art membranes and their respective functions in four typical areas of life science: artificial organs, tissue engineering, in vitro blood diagnosis and medical support. Emphasis will be given to the description of certain specific functions required of membranes in each field to provide guidance for the selection and fabrication of the membrane material. The advantages and disadvantages of these membranes have been compared to indicate further development directions for different clinical applications. Finally, we propose challenges and outlooks for future development.

With the widespread use of lithium ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehicles, further improvements in the performance of lithium ion battery materials and accurate prediction of battery state are of increasing interest to battery researchers. Machine learning, one of the core technologies of artificial intelligence, is rapidly changing many fields with its ability to learn from historical data and solve complex tasks, and it has emerged as a new technique for solving current research problems in the field of lithium ion batteries. This review begins with the introduction of the conceptual framework of machine learning and the general process of its application, then reviews some of the progress made by machine learning in both improving battery materials design and accurate prediction of battery state, and finally points out the current application problems of machine learning and future research directions. It is believed that the use of machine learning will further promote the large-scale application and improvement of lithium-ion batteries.

With increasing importance attached by the international community to global climate change and the pressing energy revolution, hydrogen energy, as a clean, efficient energy carrier, can serve as an important support for the establishment of a sustainable society. The United States and countries in Europe have already formulated relevant policies and plans for the use and development of hydrogen energy. While in China, aided by the “30·60” goal, the development of the hydrogen energy, production, transmission, and storage industries is steadily advancing. This article comprehensively considers the new energy revolution and the relevant plans of various countries, focuses on the principles, development status and research hot spots, and summarizes the different green hydrogen production technologies and paths. In addition, based on its assessment of current difficulties and bottlenecks in the production of green hydrogen and the overall global hydrogen energy development status, this article discusses the development of green hydrogen technologies.

In light of the increasing demand for environmental protection and energy conservation, the recovery of highly valuable metals, such as Li, Co, and Ni, from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has attracted wide-spread attention. Most conventional recycling strategies, however, suffer from a lack of lithium recycling, although they display high efficiency in the recovery of Co and Ni. In this work, we report an efficient extraction process of lithium from the spent LIBs by using a functional imidazolium ionic liquid. The extraction efficiency can be reached to 92.5% after a three-stage extraction, while the extraction efficiency of Ni-Co-Mn is less than 4.0%. The new process shows a high selectivity of lithium ion. FTIR spectroscopy and ultraviolet are utilized to characterize the variations in the functional groups during extraction to reveal that the possible extraction mechanism is cation exchange. The results of this work provide an effective and sustainable strategy of lithium recycling from spent LIBs.

With the continuous growth of the world population, the demand for fresh water is ever increasing. Water desalination is a means of producing fresh water from saline water, and one of the proposed solutions in the scientific community for solving the current global freshwater shortage. Adsorption is foreseen as a promising technology for desalination due to its relatively low energy requirements, low environmental impact, low cost and high salt removal efficiency. More importantly, chemicals are not required in adsorption processes. Active carbons, zeolites, carbon nanostructures, graphene and coordination framework materials are amongst the most investigated adsorbents for adsorption desalination, which show different performances regarding adsorption rate, adsorption capacity, stability and recyclability. In this review, the latest adsorbent materials with their features are assessed (using metrics) and commented critically, and the current trend for their development is discussed. The adsorption mode is also reviewed, which can provide guidance for the design of adsorbents from the engineering application point of view.

Applications of process systems engineering (PSE) in plants and enterprises are boosting industrial reform from automation to digitization and intelligence. For ethylene thermal cracking, knowledge expression, numerical modeling and intelligent optimization are key steps for intelligent manufacturing. This paper provides an overview of progress and contributions to the PSE-aided production of thermal cracking; introduces the frameworks, methods and algorithms that have been proposed over the past 10 years and discusses the advantages, limitations and applications in industrial practice. An entire set of molecular-level modeling approaches from feedstocks to products, including feedstock molecular reconstruction, reaction-network auto-generation and cracking unit simulation are described. Multi-level control and optimization methods are exhibited, including at the operational, cycle, plant and enterprise level. Relevant software packages are introduced. Finally, an outlook in terms of future directions is presented.

The emerging one-dimensional wire-shaped supercapacitors (SCs) with structural advantages of low mass/volume structural advantages hold great interests in wearable electronic engineering. Although graphene fiber (GF) has full of vigor and tremendous potentiality as promising linear electrodefor wire-shaped SCs, simultaneously achieving its facile fabrication process and satisfactory electrochemical performance still remains challenging to date. Herein, two novel types of graphene hybrid fibers, namely ferroferric oxide dots (FODs)@GF and N-doped carbon polyhedrons (NCPs)@GF, have been proposed via a simple and efficient chemical reduction-induced fabrication. Synergistically coupling the electroactive units (FODs and NCPs) with conductive graphene nanosheets endows the fiber-shaped architecture with boosted electrochemical activity, high flexibility and structural integrity. The resultant FODs@GF and NCPs@GF hybrid fibers as linear electrodes both exhibit excellent electrochemical behaviors, including large volumetric specific capacitance, good rate capability, as well as favorable electrochemical kinetics in ionic liquid electrolyte. Based on such two linear electrodes and ionogel electrolyte, a high-performance wire-shaped SC is effectively assembled with ultrahigh volumetric energy density (26.9 mW·h·cm^-3), volumetric power density (4900 mW·cm^-3) and strong durability over 10,000 cycles under straight/bending states. Furthermore, the assembled wire-shaped SC with excellent flexibility and weavability acts as efficient energy storage device for the application in wearable electronics.

With the annual increase in the amount of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the development of spent LIBs recycling technology has gradually attracted attention. Graphite is one of the most critical materials for LIBs, which is listed as a key energy source by many developed countries. However, it was neglected in spent LIBs recycling, leading to pollution of the environment and waste of resources. In this paper, the latest research progress for recycling of graphite from spent LIBs was summarized. Especially, the processes of pretreatment, graphite enrichment and purification, and materials regeneration for graphite recovery are introduced in details. Finally, the problems and opportunities of graphite recycling are raised.

Basic organic chemicals and high value–added products are mainly produced by hydrocarbon nitridation and oxidation. However, several drawbacks limit the application of the traditional oxidation and nitridation technologies in the future, such as complex processes, poor intrinsic safety, low atom utilization, and serious environmental pollution. The green nitridation and oxidation technologies are urgently needed. Hydrogen peroxide, a well–known green oxidant, is widely used in green hydrocarbon oxidation and nitridation. But its industrial production in China adopts fixed–bed technology, which is fall behind slurry–bed technology adopted by advanced foreign chemical companies, limiting the development of hydrogen peroxide industry and green hydrocarbon nitridation or oxidation industry. This article reviews the industrial production technologies of hydrogen peroxide and basic organic chemicals such as caprolactam, aniline, propene oxide, epichlorohydrin, phenol, and benzenediol, especially introduces the green production technologies of basic organic chemicals related with H₂O₂. The article also emphasis on the efforts of Chinese researchers in developing its own slurry–bed technology of hydrogen peroxide production, and corresponding green hydrocarbon nitridation or oxidation technologies with hydrogen peroxide. Compared with traditional nitridation or oxidation technologies, green production technologies of caprolactam, propene oxide, epichlorohydrin, and benzenediol with hydrogen peroxide promote the nitrogen atom utilization from 60% to near 100% and the carbon atom utilization from 80% to near 100%. The waste emissions and environmental investments are reduced dramatically. Technological blockade against the green chemical industry of China are partially broken down, and technological upgrade in the chemical industry of China is guaranteed.

The design of Co-Mn composite oxides catalysts derived from MOF is significant for catalytic combustion of toluene. Here, a series of M-Co_aMn_bO_x, with enhanced catalytic properties compared with that of M-Co₃O₄, were successfully prepared through pyrolysis of Mn-doped Co-MOF. The as-synthesized M-Co₁Mn₁O_x (Co:Mn = 1:1) exhibits an optimal catalytic activity with 90% toluene conversion reached at 227 ℃, which benefits from the increase of Co³⁺, O_ads and the synergistic effect between Mn and Co. According to the analysis of the in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, toluene could be degraded easier on M-Co₁Mn₁O_x with lower activation energy than M-Co₃O₄. The main intermediate products are benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, anhydride, and maleate species. Those findings reveal the value of Mn doping for improved activity of toluene oxidation on MOF derived Co₃O₄, which provide a feasible method for the construction of toluene-oxidation catalysts.

Biomanufacturing, which uses renewable resources as raw materials and uses biological processes to produce energy and chemicals, has long been regarded as a production model that replaces the unsustainable fossil economy. The construction of non-natural and efficient biosynthesis routes of chemicals is an important goal of green biomanufacturing. Traditional methods that rely on experience are difficult to support the realization of this goal. However, with the rapid development of information technology, the intelligence of biomanufacturing has brought hope to achieve this goal. Retrobiosynthesis and computational enzyme design, as two of the main technologies in intelligent biomanufacturing, have developed rapidly in recent years and have made great achievements and some representative works have demonstrated the great value that the integration of the two fields may bring. To achieve the final integration of the two fields, it is necessary to examine the information, methods and tools from a bird’s-eye view, and to find a feasible idea and solution for establishing a connection point. For this purpose, this article briefly reviewed the main ideas, methods and tools of the two fields, and put forward views on how to achieve the integration of the two fields.

For the design and optimization of a tubular gas-liquid atomization mixer, the atomization and mixing characteristics of liquid jet breakup in the limited tube space is a key problem. In this study, the primary breakup process of liquid jet column was analyzed by high-speed camera, then the droplet size and velocity distribution of atomized droplets were measured by Phase-Doppler anemometry (PDA). The hydrodynamic characteristics of gas flow in tubular gas-liquid atomization mixer were analyzed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation. The results indicate that the liquid flow rate has little effect on the atomization droplet size and atomization pressure drop, and the gas flow rate is the main influence parameter. Under all experimental gas flow conditions, the liquid jet column undergoes a primary breakup process, forming larger liquid blocks and droplets. When the gas flow rate (Q_g) is less than 127 m³·h^-1, the secondary breakup of large liquid blocks and droplets does not occur in venturi throat region. The Sauter mean diameter (SMD) of droplets measured at the outlet is more than 140 μm, and the distribution is uneven. When Q_g > 127 m³·h^-1, the large liquid blocks and droplets have secondary breakup process at the throat region. The SMD of droplets measured at the outlet is less than 140 μm, and the distribution is uniform. When 127 < Q_g < 162 m³·h^-1, the secondary breakup mode of droplets is bag breakup or pouch breakup. When 181 < Q_g < 216 m³·h^-1, the secondary breakup mode of droplets is shear breakup or catastrophic breakup. In order to ensure efficient atomization and mixing, the throat gas velocity of the tubular atomization mixer should be designed to be about 51 m·s^-1 under the lowest operating flow rate. The pressure drop of the tubular atomization mixer increases linearly with the square of gas velocity, and the resistance coefficient is about 2.55 in single-phase flow condition and 2.73 in gas-liquid atomization condition.