熔盐的应用及熔盐电解法在二次资源金属回收中的研究进展

Molten salt is an excellent medium for chemical reaction, energy transfer, and storage. Molten salt innovative technologies should be developed to recover metals from secondary resources and reserve metals from primary natural sources. Among these technologies, molten salt electrolysis is an economic and environment-friendly method to extract metals from waste materials. From the perspective of molten salt characteristics, the application of molten salts in chemistry, electrochemistry, energy, and thermal storage should be comprehensively elaborated. This review discusses further directions for the research and development of molten salt electrolysis and their use for metal recovery from various metal wastes, such as magnet scrap, nuclear waste, and cemented carbide scrap. Attention is placed on the development of various electrolysis methods for different metal containing wastes, overcoming some problems in electrolytes, electrodes, and electrolytic cells. Special focus is given to future development directions for current associated processing obstacles.     

Recovery and separation of rare earth elements by molten salt electrolysis

With the increasing demand of rare earth metals in functional materials, recovery of rare earth elements(REEs) from secondary resources has become important for the green economy transition. Molten salt electrolysis has the advantages of low water consumption and low hazardous waste during REE recovery. This review systematically summarizes the separation and electroextraction of REEs on various reactive electrodes in different molten salts. It also highlights the relationship between the formed alloy phases and electrodeposition parameters, including applied potential, current, and ion concentration. Moreover, the feasibility of using LiF–NaF–KF electrolyte to recover REEs is evaluated through thermodynamic analysis. Problems related to REE separation/recovery the choice of electrolyte are discussed in detail to realize the low-energy and high current efficiency of practical applications.     

锂–硫电池硫正极的金属磷化物和硫化物催化载体

Lithium?sulfur batteries are one of the most competitive high-energy batteries due to their high theoretical energy density of 2600 W·h·kg?1. However, their commercialization is limited by poor cycle stability mainly due to the low intrinsic electrical conductivity of sulfur and its discharged products (Li₂S₂/Li₂S), the sluggish reaction kinetics of sulfur cathode, and the “shuttle effect” of soluble intermediate lithium polysulfides in ether-based electrolyte. To address these challenges, catalytic hosts have recently been introduced in sulfur cathodes to enhance the conversion of soluble polysulfides to the final solid products and thus prevent the dissolution and loss of active-sulfur material. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on the use of metal phosphides and borides of different dimensions as the catalytic host of sulfur cathodes and demonstrate the catalytic conversion mechanism of sulfur cathodes with the help of metal phosphides and borides for high-energy and long-life lithium–sulfur batteries. Finally, future outlooks are proposed on developing advanced catalytic host materials to improve battery performance.     

Laser-induced fluorescence: Progress and prospective for in vivo cancer diagnosis

Cancer diagnosis and treatment are of great interest due to the high death rate of cancer.To improve the cure rates of cancer,a diagnostic tool which can detect and treat cancer at initial stages is great needed.Laser-induced fluorescence(LIF) is an adequate analytical technique with advantages of high sensitivity,low sample consumption,short testing time,and suitable for in situ testing.Therefore,it has become one of the most widely used spectroscopic methods for cancer in vivo diagnosis in recent years.This review mainly focuses on the applications of in vivo LIF to distinguish premalignant,malignant from normal tissues in a variety of organ systems,such as lung breast,colon,cervix,esophagus,and bronchus.The potential influence factors for cancer diagnostics and the subsequent suitability of the method to different applications are well discussed.Meanwhile,the technical merits and weaknesses of the LIF technology for cancer diagnosis are also evaluated.Furthermore,different exogenous fluorophores,endogenous fluorophores,and fluorophores synthesized in the tissue are compared on their active principle and effect contrast.The technical potentials of LIF for further development and future applications are also presented as well in this review.     

Coordination states of metal ions in molten salts and their characterization methods

The macroscopic characteristics of molten salts are governed by their microstructures. Research on the structures of molten salts provides the foundation for a full understanding of the physicochemical properties of molten salts as well as a deeper analysis of the microscopic electrolysis process in molten salts. Information about the microstructure of matter can be obtained with the help of several speculative and experimental procedures. In this review, the advantages and disadvantages of the ...     

矿山尾矿作为碱活化原料的研究进展

The mining industry produces billions of tons of mine tailings annually. However, because of their lack of economic value, most of the tailings are discarded near the mining sites, typically under water. The primary environmental concerns of mine tailings are related to their heavy metal and sulfidic mineral content. Oxidation of sulfidic minerals can produce acid mine drainage that leaches heavy metals into the surrounding water. The management of tailing dams requires expensive construction and careful control, and there is the need for stable, sustainable, and economically viable management technologies. Alkali activation as a solidification/stabilization technology offers an attractive way to deal with mine tailings. Alkali activated materials are hardened, concrete-like structures that can be formed from raw materials that are rich in aluminum and silicon, which fortunately, are the main elements in mining residues. Furthermore, alkali activation can immobilize harmful heavy metals within the structure. This review describes the research on alkali activated mine tailings. The reactivity and chemistry of different minerals are discussed. Since many mine tailings are poorly reactive under alkaline conditions, different pretreatment methods and their effects on the mineralogy are reviewed. Possible applications for these materials are also discussed.     

Selected multiferroic perovskite oxides containing rare earth and transition metal elements

Multiferroic materials are currently the subject of intensive research worldwide, because of both their fundamental scientific problems and also possible technological applications. Among a number of candidates in the laboratories, compounds consisting of rare earth and transition metal perovskite oxides have very unusual structural and physical properties. In contrast to the so-called type I multiferroics, ferroelectricity may be induced by magnetic ordering or by applying external fields. In this review, the recent progress on the experimental and theoretical studies of some selected type II multiferroics is presented, with a focus on the perovskite oxides containing rare earth and transition metal elements. The rare earth orthoferrite crystals, rare earth titanate strained film, and rare earthbased superlattices are systematically reviewed to provide a broad overview on their promising electric, magnetic, and structural properties. The recent experimental advances in single-crystal growth by optical floating zone method are also presented. First-principles investigations, either supported by experimental results or awaiting for experimental verifications, are shown to offer useful guidance for the future applications of unconventional multiferroics.     

In vitro biological effects of magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have great potential for a wide use in various biomedical applications due to their unusual properties. It is critical for many applications that the biological effects of nanoparticles are studied in depth. To date, many disparate results can be found in the literature regarding nanoparticle-biological factors interactions. This review highlights recent developments in this field with particular focuses on in vitro MNPs-cell interactions. The effect of MNPs properties on cellular uptake and cytotoxicity evaluation of MNPs were discussed. Some employed methods are also included. Moreover, nanoparticle-cell interactions are mediated by the presence of proteins absorbed from biological fluids on the nanoparticle. Many questions remain on the effect of nanoparticle surface (in addition to nanoparticle size) on protein adsorption. We review papers related to this point too.     

Bimetallic nanostructures with magnetic and noble metals and their physicochemical applications

Bimetallic nanomaterials consisting of magnetic metals and noble metals have attracted much interest for their promising potentials in fields such as magnetic sensors, catalysts, optical detection and biomedical applications. Bimetallic nanomaterials synthesized by wet-chemical methods with different architectures including nanoparticles, nanowires or nanotubes and their assemblies are summarized in this review. The particular properties of bimetallic nanomaterials, especially their magnetic, catalytic and optical properties, are presented. The advance in electron microscopy makes it possible to understand the nanostructural materials at much higher level than before, which helps to disclose the relationship between the microstructures and properties qualitatively and quantitatively.     

Effects of icosahedral phase formation on the microstructure and mechanical improvement of Mg alloys: A review

Icosahedral phase (I-phase) is a relatively excellent strengthening phase in Mg alloys. Depending on their volume fraction, the yield strength of Mg–Zn–Y–Zr alloys can vary from 150 to 450 MPa at room temperature. Recently, the formation of I-phase has been considered as one of the most effective methods for developing high strength lightweight Mg alloys for automotive and aerospace applications. In this review article, a series of research work about I-phase containing Mg alloys have been systematically investigated including I-phase formation mechanism and their effects on mechanical properties of Mg alloys. Particular emphases have been given to: (1) Structure of I-phase and its orientation relationship with the a-Mg matrix. (2) Influence of alloying elements and solidification conditions on I-phase formation. (3) Effects of I-phase on microstructural evolution and mechanical improvement of Mg–Zn–Y–(Zr) alloys. Moreover, the applications of I-phase for the mechanical improvement of other Mg alloys such as AZ91 and super-lightweight Mg–Li alloys are also reviewed.     

Environmental and energy gains from using molten magnesium–sodium–potassium chlorides for electro-metallisation of refractory metal oxides

The molten eutectic mixture of magnesium,sodium and potassium chlorides(Mg Cl2–Na Cl–KCl) has inappreciable solubility for oxide ions,and can help disengage a carbon anode from the oxide ions generated at a metal oxide cathode,and effectively avoid carbon dioxide formation.This "disengaging strategy" was successfully demonstrated in electro-reduction of solid oxides of zirconium and tantalum.It has led to significantly higher current efficiency(93%),and lower energy consumption(1.4 k W h kg 1) in electrolysis of tantalum oxide to tantalum metal compared to the conventional electrolysis in molten calcium chloride(e.g.78% and 2.4 k W h/kg-Ta).     

Recent advances in speciation analysis of mercury, arsenic and selenium

Mercury(Hg),arsenic(As) and selenium(Se) are ubiquitous in the environment and exist in a variety of species,which have great influence on their transport,bioaccumulation and toxicity.This review presents the recent research progress in speciation analysis of Hg,As,and Se,with emphasis on enhanced cold vapor generation as interface for liquid chromatography and atomic spectrometry,speciation of volatile species in gas phase,and isotope dilution technique to improve the precision and accuracy of speciation.Hyphenated techniques to characterize the complexes of Hg and As with phytochelatins and chromatographic separation coupled with multi-collector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to measure species-specific isotopic ratios,are also briefly discussed.     

Review： Perspectives on the metallic interconnects for solid oxide fuel cells

The various stages and progress in the development of interconnect materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs )over the last two decades are reviewed. The criteria for the application of materials as interconnects are highlighted. Interconnects based on lanthanum chromite ceramics demonstrate many inherent drawbacks and therefore are only useful for SOFCs operating around 1000℃. The advance in the research of anode-supported flat SOFCs facilitates the replacement of ceramic interconnects with metallic ones due to their significantly lowered working temperature. Besides, interconnects made of metals or alloys offer many advantages as compared to their ceramic counterpart. The oxidation response and thermal expansion behaviors of various prospective metallic interconnects are examined and evaluated. The minimization of contact resistance to achieve desired and reliable stack performance during their projected lifetime still remains a highly challenging issue with metallic interconnects. Inexpensive coating materials and techniques may play a key role in promoting the commercialization of SOFC stack whose interconnects are constructed of some current commercially available alloys. Alternatively, development of new metallic materials that are capable of forming stable oxide scales with sluggish growth rate and sufficient electrical conductivity is called for.     

Supergravity separation of Pb and Sn from waste printed circuit boards at different temperatures

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) contain many toxic substances as well as valuable metals, e.g., lead (Pb) and tin (Sn). In this study, a novel technology, named supergravity, was used to separate different mass ratios of Pb and Sn from Pb-Sn alloys in PCBs. In a supergravity field, the liquid metal phase can permeate from solid particles. Hence, temperatures of 200, 280, and 400℃ were chosen to separate Pb and Sn from PCBs. The results depicted that gravity coefficient only affected the recovery rates of Pb and Sn, whereas it had little effect on the mass ratios of Pb and Sn in the obtained alloys. With an increase in gravity coefficient, the recovery values of Pb and Sn in each step of the separation process increased. In the single-step separation process, the mass ratios of Pb and Sn in Pb-Sn alloys were 0.55, 0.40, and 0.64 at 200, 280, and 400℃, respectively. In the two-step separation process, the mass ratios were 0.12 and 0.55 at 280 and 400℃, respectively. Further, the mass ratio was observed to be 0.76 at 400℃ in the three-step separation process. This process provides an innovative approach to the recycling mechanism of Pb and Sn from PCBs.     

Advances in electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction of water electrolysis-from metal oxides to carbon nanotubes

The water electrolysis for hydrogen production is constrained by the thermodynamically unfavorable oxygen evolution reaction(OER),which requires input of a large amount of energy to drive the reaction.One of the key challenges to increase the efficiency of the water electrolysis system is to develop highly effective and robust electrocatalysts for the OER.In the past 20–30 years,significant progresses have been made in the development of efficient electrocatalysts,including metal oxides,metal oxide-carbon nanotubes(CNTs) hybrid and metal-free CNTs based materials for the OER.In this critical review,the overall progress of metal oxides catalysts and the role of CNTs in the development of OER catalyst are summarized,and the latest development of new metal free CNTs-based OER catalyst is discussed.     

Functional Materials for Catalytic and Magnetic Applications

1 Introduction Metal, metal oxide and metal compound nanoparticles (NPs) received considerable attention due to their unique properties: catalytic, magnetic, optical, electronic, etc. We believe that for different applications, there are preferable morphologies of NP-stabilizing medium composites. For example, small (1-3 nm) nanoparticles formed in micro/mesoporous hypercrosslinked polystyrene demonstrate excellent catalytic properties in various hydrogenation and oxidation reactions due to high surface area and availability of catalytic centers for reacting molecules. On the other hand, a similar morphology of magnetic metal oxide nanoparticles yields only mediocre magnetic properties because the polymeric matrix used for nanoparticle growth and stabilization limits the choice of the reaction conditions of the NP synthesis.     

Progress in the research of radical anion ligands and their complexes

Recent progress in the research of radical anion ligands and their complexes with metals were summarized in this review. Radical anions were sorted into several types including iminosemiquinonate and iminoquinonate radical, nitroxide radical, heterocycle radical etc. Structural characteristics and properties of the corresponding complexes were introduced. The complexes exhibited novel properties and possibility for applications in organic magnetic materials and transition metal catalysis.     

Electrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuels: An overview of oxide reduction in pyroprocessing technology

The electrochemical reduction process has been used to reduce spent oxide fuel to a metallic form using pyroprocessing technology for a closed fuel cycle in combination with a metal-fuel fast reactor.In the electrochemical reduction process,oxides fuels are loaded at the cathode basket in molten Li_2O–LiCl salt and electrochemically reduced to the metal form.Various approaches based on thermodynamic calculations and experimental studies have been used to understand the electrode reaction and efficiently treat spent fuels.The factors that affect the speed of the electrochemical reduction have been determined to optimize the process and scale-up the electrolysis cell.In addition,demonstrations of the integrated series of processes(electrorefining and salt distillation) with the electrochemical reduction have been conducted to realize the oxide fuel cycle.This overview provides insight into the current status of and issues related to the electrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuels.