Separation and Purification Technology最新文献

{"title":"Synergistic removal of lanthanide elements Via electroplating technology and adsorption and its mechanism research","authors":"Houjun He,&nbsp;Yingcai Wang,&nbsp;Zeqi Tan,&nbsp;Qingrong Zhang,&nbsp;Zhongping Cheng,&nbsp;Zhibin Zhang,&nbsp;Yunhai Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To enable efficient removal of fission products and recycling of radioactive waste salts, this study proposes an innovative strategy that couples electroplating technology with high-temperature adsorption. This synergistic approach successfully achieves high-efficiency extraction of lanthanide elements from molten salt media, while addressing challenges such as low current efficiency and high energy consumption under conditions of low ion concentration. Firstly, a systematic examination of La (III)’s electrochemical characteristics indicated a diffusion-controlled, one-step process involving the transfer of three electrons. Then, constant potential plating on a nickel electrode enabled formation of a La<img>Ni alloy plating and achieved an average extraction efficiency of 95.98%. Finally, the 5 A molecular sieve was employed to perform a high-temperature adsorption experiment on the salt obtained after electrolysis. The results indicated that the removal efficiency of re-adsorption after electrolysis could reach up to 95.34%. By integrating constant potential electrorefining with 5 A molecular sieve adsorption, the overall La(III) recovery efficiency was elevated to approximately 99.81%. Mechanistic insights were obtained through kinetic modeling—including the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models. Analysis demonstrated that the adsorption behavior is governed by intraparticle diffusion and dominated by chemisorption, specifically via an ion-exchange mechanism. This technology not only enables the efficient removal of harmful cracking products to enable the reuse of spent radioactive salt, but also resolves the decline in current efficiency in final electrolysis stages, and is expected to be applied in the actual dry process of spent fuel reprocessing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137176"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental study on the rapid formation and enhancement mechanism of CO2 hydrate in nanoparticle-based media: Implications for the rapid CO2 capture and storage","authors":"Xuemin Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenqiang Cui ,&nbsp;Wenxin Dong ,&nbsp;Jiacheng Liu ,&nbsp;Jiale Chen ,&nbsp;Jinping Li ,&nbsp;Yingmei Wang ,&nbsp;Qingbai Wu ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrate-based carbon dioxide capture and storage is an efficacious strategy for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. Nevertheless, the efficient capture and separation of CO₂ depends on the rapid formation of CO₂ hydrate. In addition, hydrates are prone to heterogeneous nucleation, and the kinetic processes of CO₂ hydrate formation are significantly influenced by the surface characteristics of the medium. In this work, the quantitative influence of different concentrations of hydrophilic and hydrophobic particle media (hydrophilic graphite-fluorinated graphite, graphene-graphene oxide, and hydrophilic-hydrophobic silica) and the surface characteristics on the CO₂ hydrate formation were studied at 278.15 K and 3 MPa. The findings demonstrated that different concentrations of medium particles significantly influence the formation process of hydrate. The optimal concentration ranges for the hydrophilic graphite-fluorinated graphite, graphene-graphene oxide, and hydrophilic-hydrophobic silica systems are 0.10, 0.02 and 0.10 wt%, respectively. Furthermore, for different medium surface characteristics, hydrophilic nanoparticles generally perform better than hydrophobic nanoparticles in terms of cumulative gas consumption, gas-to-hydrate conversion rate, formation rate within the first 1 h, and T₉₀. Additionally, it is worth noting that, when the hydrophobicity of solid particles is stronger, the formation rate of CO₂ hydrates during the first hour of this process is superior to that of its corresponding hydrophilic nanoparticles. The relevant results provide a fundamental insight into the rapid formation mechanism of CO₂ hydrates and propose a new strategy for constructing a hydration reaction system that facilitates, thereby promoting the industrialization process of rapid CO₂ capture by the hydrate-based method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137118"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harnessing Photothermal graphene oxide interlayers for high-flux solar-driven pervaporation desalination","authors":"Cheng Tang ,&nbsp;Jie Hu ,&nbsp;Tingting Yue ,&nbsp;Xiufeng Hu ,&nbsp;Wei Yu ,&nbsp;Hui Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seawater desalination is a crucial approach to addressing global freshwater scarcity, especially in coastal and arid regions. Pervaporation (PV) offers high salt rejection and strong fouling resistance, but conventional PV membranes often suffer from limited permeate flow rates and temperature polarization. In this study, solar energy was integrated with PV by incorporating graphene oxide (GO) as a photothermal material to directly heat the membrane surface, thereby reducing energy consumption and enhancing permeation flux. The composite membrane comprises an electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support layer, a GO-based intermediate layer crosslinked with polyethyleneimine (PEI), and a sodium alginate (SA) selective top layer. The GO interlayer converts the solar energy into localized heat and enhances surface wettability, facilitating the development of a uniform and ultrathin SA separation layer, while concurrently enhancing the structural stability of the membrane. By optimizing GO loading and SA thickness, the membrane structure was tailored to increase permeate flux and maintain high salt rejection. The optimized SA(10)/PEI-GO(250)/PAN membrane delivered a stable water flux averaging 2.9–3.0 kg/m²·h, while maintaining a salt removal efficiency above 99.9%. Extended operational trials validated the long-term reliability of the system. These findings highlight the feasibility of solar-driven PV (SPV) composites as a low-energy and eco-friendly approach to saline water treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137136"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic catalysis and orchestrated mineralization of toluene by cooperative surface hydroxyls and metallic Bi0","authors":"Yizhou Xuan ,&nbsp;Zibo Wang ,&nbsp;Chunyan Yang,&nbsp;Haotian Liu,&nbsp;Shengyao Wang,&nbsp;Hao Chen,&nbsp;Peilin Yang,&nbsp;Xing Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The inefficient coupling between the initial oxidation and subsequent deep degradation steps remains a critical bottleneck for achieving complete photocatalytic mineralization of toluene. In this study, we developed a “dynamic dual-catalytic system” with synergistic surface hydroxyl groups and metallic Bi⁰ on a bismuth molybdate substrate. The optimized catalyst achieved 85.46% toluene conversion and 80.23% mineralization efficiency under light irradiation, which are 2.05 and 3.20 times higher than those of the pristine material, respectively. Through advanced <em>in situ</em> characterization and mechanistic studies, two complementary functions were elucidated: hydroxyl groups promote ·OH-mediated initial activation, enabling pre-oxidation of toluene, while metallic Bi⁰ enhances charge separation and facilitates ·O₂⁻ generation, leading to ring-opening reactions. These modifications operate in a synergistic and sequential manner to achieve complete mineralization of toluene. This work provides new insights into the role of organic intermediates in oxygen activation and proposes a promising strategy for developing next-generation photocatalysts for volatile organic compound elimination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137202"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Solar-driven ultrafast degradation of sodium p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzene sulfonate via oxygen-vacancy-rich MXene heterojunction photocatalytic ozonation","authors":"Yuhui Wang ,&nbsp;Zhangtao Liu ,&nbsp;Shuo Qi ,&nbsp;Zhaojun Li ,&nbsp;Yaqian Pang ,&nbsp;Zhenyang Xu ,&nbsp;Yongbing Zhu ,&nbsp;Ning Xiao ,&nbsp;Tingting Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137069","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137069","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A novel MXene-based ternary catalyst was designed to overcome the rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in photocatalytic ozonation (PCO) for the effective degradation of persistent <em>per</em>- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The optimized system achieved over 80% removal of sodium p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzene sulfonate (OBS) in 2 min, representing a 3.5-fold enhancement compared to PCO alone. Characterization results demonstrated that the superior performance originated from the introduction of indium, which not only narrowed the bandgap but also generated abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs). These OVs served as electron-regulating centers, steering the system toward a reaction pathway dominated by singlet oxygen (¹O₂). It was ultimately confirmed that ¹O₂ and holes acted as the primary reactive species, enabling efficient detoxification of OBS while also exhibiting strong stability in actual fluorinated firefighting wastewater. This study established an advanced oxidation strategy and highlighted the significant potential of vacancy-engineered MXene-based composites in treating recalcitrant PFAS in aquatic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137069"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ag+-coordination-driven rapid self-assembly of α-MnO2 nanowire building blocks into 3D porous macroscopic architectures for enhanced selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia","authors":"Wang Ran ,&nbsp;Shaopeng Rong ,&nbsp;Shouzhi Chen,&nbsp;Tao Yu,&nbsp;Wenxuan Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of the global transition to clean energy, ammonia (NH₃) is widely considered a promising carbon-free energy carrier, yet its potential leakage poses serious risks to both environmental and human health. Selective catalytic oxidation of NH₃ (NH₃-SCO) using Ag-based catalysts represents an effective end-of-pipe abatement technology. Nevertheless, conventional Ag-based catalysts suffer from severe aggregation and low atomic utilization due to insufficient anchoring sites on carrier surface. Herein, we developed a novel Ag⁺-coordination-driven self-assembly strategy for constructing three-dimensional (3D) porous aerogel catalysts (Ag@3D-MnO₂) using surface-hydroxylated α-MnO₂ nanowires as building blocks. This 3D macroporous architecture offers dual functional advantages: It provides abundant adsorption sites and enhances the concentration of reactive oxygen species, while the atomically dispersed Ag⁺ ions significantly promote catalytic oxidation capabilities, facilitating the generation of oxygen species and superoxide radicals (•O₂⁻). The resulting Ag@3D-MnO₂ aerogel catalyst, with a low Ag loading, achieves complete NH₃ conversion at 140 °C, 70 °C lower than that of pristine α-MnO₂ (T₁₀₀ = 210 °C). Moreover, it demonstrates outstanding stability, maintaining high activity over a 60-h continuous test and four successive reaction cycles without obvious deactivation. This endogenous self-assembly strategy for constructing 3D macrostructures demonstrates a viable route to enhance Ag atom utilization, providing a highly efficient and durable catalyst for low-temperature NH₃-SCO. The present work demonstrates considerable potential for practical applications in controlling NH₃ emissions and ensuring the safe utilization of ammonia in clean energy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137128"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of forward osmosis membrane fouling mechanisms based on collision attachment theory: modeling and validation","authors":"Tao Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaozhen Lu ,&nbsp;Lin Wang ,&nbsp;Mingfei Zhu ,&nbsp;Junxia Liu ,&nbsp;Weiwei Huang ,&nbsp;Tian Li ,&nbsp;Zhao Li ,&nbsp;Lijie Zhang ,&nbsp;Yujie Zhu ,&nbsp;Zhichao Huang ,&nbsp;Huaqiang Chu ,&nbsp;Daoji Wu ,&nbsp;Feiyong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forward osmosis (FO) represents an energy-efficient membrane separation process that leverages osmotic pressure gradients for water treatment. Nevertheless, fouling induced by dissolved organic matter (DOM) remains a major obstacle to its practical application, underscoring the need for a deeper mechanistic understanding to enable effective fouling mitigation. This study systematically investigates FO membrane fouling mechanisms using the collision–attachment (CA) model as an analytical and predictive framework. Model foulants, including tannic acid (TA), sodium alginate (SA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and natural DOM, were employed to elucidate the fouling behavior under varying hydrodynamic conditions, membrane orientations, and foulant concentrations. The CA model successfully unveiled fouling mechanisms, transitioning from foulant–membrane interactions at low total organic carbon (TOC ≤ 20 mg/L) to foulant–foulant interactions at high concentrations (TOC = 100 mg/L). Among the tested foulants, BSA and TA exhibited stronger fouling tendencies than SA. The active-layer-toward-draw-solution (AL–DS) configuration showed a higher initial flux but suffered more fouling development. Moreover, the validated CA model was effective in predicting natural DOM fouling under low TOC and low flux conditions. This investigation may provide mechanistic insights into FO membrane fouling and establish a validated framework for performance prediction and process optimization, contributing to more sustainable and efficient FO-based water treatment systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137140"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An N-doped quaternary phosphonium-based ionic hypercrosslinked polymer for efficient and ultrafast removal of small-molecular phenolic pollutants","authors":"Lin Yao ,&nbsp;Pu Xiong ,&nbsp;Hao Chen ,&nbsp;Li Zhang ,&nbsp;Meng Wang ,&nbsp;Yafen Dai ,&nbsp;Yigang Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The treatment of small-molecular phenolic pollutants still faces numerous technical challenges. Herein, we selected benzyltriphenylphosphonium chloride(BPP) with multiple aromatic rings as the ionic monomer, benzene as the comonomer, and indole (IN), benzimidazole (BZD), and benzotriazole (BTA) as the N-heterocyclic monomers to prepare quaternary phosphonium-based ionic hyper-cross-linked polymers (IHCPs) with abundant microporous structures, high hydrophilicity, and excellent physicochemical stability through a one-pot knitting strategy. The Cl⁻ on BPP and N and H on the N-heterocyclic monomers can serve as potential hydrogen bonding sites. By adjusting the content of heteroatoms in the N-heterocyclic monomers, the pore structure and hydrophilicity of the material can be effectively improved. In addition, IHCP-BTA with abundant <em>S</em>_micro, <em>V</em>_micro, heteroatom content, and low contact angle exhibits ultrafast adsorption rates and adsorption performance for small-molecule pollutants 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and phenol (PH), reaching equilibrium in just 10 min, whereas for macromolecule tannic acid (TA) and chlortetracycline (CTC), it takes at least 60 min to reach equilibrium. According to the fitting calculations, the <em>Q</em>_m values of IHCP-BTA for 4-NP, PH, TA, and <em>CTC</em> are 383.4, 204.1, 185.6, and 194.6 mg/g, respectively. Moreover, the adsorption performance of IHCP-BTA for other small-molecule pollutants is significantly superior to that for macromolecular pollutants, and it still demonstrates excellent adsorption performance under a wide pH range, different initial concentrations, high ionic concentrations, and humic acid concentrations. When using ethyl acetate, methanol, and 5% sodium hydroxide solution as desorbents, the regeneration performance of IHCP-BTA gradually decreases. Based on material characterizations and DFT calculations, the synergistic effects of micropore filling, intermolecular weak interactions, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonding contribute to the strong adsorption affinity of IHCP-BTA towards small-molecule pollutants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137116"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on the influence of cone length in volute-type cyclone separators on flow field characteristics and energy consumption","authors":"Chonghao Liang,&nbsp;Zhongli Ji,&nbsp;Xiaolin Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the effects of varying cone lengths on the flow field and separation performance of a volute-type cyclone separator. The turbulent flow is modeled using the Reynolds stress model. The effects of a high-concentration, polydisperse particle system on the flow field characteristics and energy consumption distribution of the gas-solid two-phase flow within the cyclone separator are examined through a coupled Population Balance Equation approach based on the Euler-Euler method. The effect of cone length on vortex motion within cyclone separators under different particle loading conditions was investigated using the Liutex vortex identification method. Furthermore, the distribution patterns of internal energy dissipation within cyclone separators across various systems were revealed through entropy production analysis based on the second law of thermodynamics. Research findings indicate that cone length under varying particle loading conditions influences vortex motion within the flow field. High particle loading attenuates turbulence intensity, resulting in the inability of strong vortex cores to extend throughout the entire fluid space in long-cone cyclones. Among the irreversible factors affecting flow field dissipation, wall dissipation and turbulent dissipation are the dominant contributors, while entropy production from temperature-difference heat transfer and viscous dissipation account for an extremely small proportion. Particle loading reduces turbulent dissipation in the flow field and wall friction. The variation in particle loading affects local dissipation in different regions of the cyclone separator while also weakening the influence of cone length on local dissipation within the cyclone separator.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137032"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CuO/carbon spheres/g-C3N4 with 3D hierarchical porous structure and functional carbon bridge for efficient CO2 adsorption and photocatalytic reduction","authors":"Lin Qiao,&nbsp;Ze Zhang,&nbsp;Dong Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2026.137212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Utilizing photocatalysis to reduce CO₂ into value-added products is a promising and sustainable pathway. This study reports the fabrication of a low-cost CuO/carbon spheres/g-C₃N₄ composite material without the use of precious metals, featuring a p-n heterojunction between CuO and g-C₃N₄ interconnected by a conductive carbon bridge. The optimal sample has suitable CO₂ adsorption capacity (1.4 mmol/g at 1 bar, 25 °C) and exceptional CO₂ photocatalytic performance. The optimal sample achieves CO and CH₄ production yields of 110.95 and 9.9 μmol/g h⁻¹, respectively, with 73.7% CO selectivity. Photoelectrochemical tests reveal that the CuO/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction facilitates rapid electron transfer via the carbon medium, achieving effective electrons(e⁻)-holes(h⁺) separation. In-situ Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (in-situ DRIFTS) analysis and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations collaboratively verify the efficient reaction pathway via key intermediates (COOH*, CHO*, CH₂O*, and CH₃O*) and elucidate the electronic structure driving the enhanced charge dynamics. Furthermore, property-performance correlation analysis indicates that the charge separation efficiency is the main performance driving factor. A life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates that avoiding the use of precious metals during catalyst preparation leads to a significant reduction in the environmental footprint of CuO/carbon spheres/g-C₃N₄. The main environmental impact comes from electricity consumption during production. This work provides a sustainable blueprint for designing efficient photocatalysts by integrating interfacial engineering with mechanistic understanding for solar-driven CO₂ valorization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"392 ","pages":"Article 137212"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}