The solvent extraction of single giant DNA molecular ions by N,N-dimethyl-N,N-dioctadecylammonium chloride was investigated under a fluorescence microscope with high resolution and their phase transfers from the water phase to the isooctane–1-octanol mixture (oil) phase were observed successfully. DNAs in the water phase were in the random-coil state, and those extracted in the oil phase were in the imperfect globule state, whereas those existing at the interface were almost in the globule state. From these conformation changes, the phase transfer mechanism of DNA at the interface was proposed.

Strength of axial mixing in the emulsion phase during the progress of extraction was evaluated using the Peclet number under various flow conditions. The Peclet numbers were determined with the established tracer technology which applies inert species for iodine extraction. Very little effect of operating velocities of either aqueous and organic phases was found on the Peclet numbers. This fact indicates that an almost constant degree of axial mixing was kept in this column for different flow velocities of both phases. Furthermore, the degree of axial mixing of the emulsion-flow column was compared with conventional spray and packed columns by plotting the droplet Peclet number against the droplet Reynolds number. Points of the Peclet numbers of emulsion-flow column located in the middle of the spray and the packed columns, which suggests that the strength of axial mixing in the present column is in between spray and packed columns.

The microcapillary was combined with the liquid-liquid slug flow to build the separation field. The partition behavior of seventeen kinds of substrates was investigated by using six kinds of water/organic biphasic systems under hydrothermal conditions (25 – 190^oC at 10 MPa). The scale of hydrophobicity (HF) of water/organic biphasic system was estimated. The HF value for the biphasic system used here was comparable to the conventional aqueous two-phase systems and depended on the (de)solvation of substrates by water and organic solvent. Besides, the vortex field in the slug contributed to the enhanced mass transfer of substrates. Those results are available for the selection of water/organic biphasic system as the reactive separation of target materials.

A Y micromixer with a macroscopic mixing cavity at the inlet junction was developed. The effects of the mixing cavity on the improvement of extraction of copper by LIX 84I were investigated. The investigated parameters and their ranges were: overall flow rate: 10 – 200 mL/min; microchannel size: 0.5 – 1 mm and mixing cavity diameter: 5 – 20 mm. Extraction efficiency, volumetric mass transfer coefficient, kinetics and pressure drop were investigated. The extraction efficiency and the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the cavity micromixer were significantly higher than the Y micromixer. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient ranged between 1 – 93 s^-1, and the pressure drop between 50 – 500 kPa. The residence time required in the micromixers was two orders of magnitude lesser than that of an agitated batch reactor.

A diglycolamide based N,N′-Dimethyl-N,N′-di-2-phenylethyl-diglycol amide (MPEDGA) extractant was synthesized and dissolved into 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium nonafluorobutanesulfonate ([C₄mim][NfO]) to prepare the extraction phase. Its separation performance of Am-241 with Eu-152 in nitric acid solution was investigated. The extraction kinetics were fast and could reach equilibrium within 15 min. When [HNO₃] = 0.1 M, the maximum SF_{Eu-152/ Am-241} was obtained as 124. Moreover, with increase in the concentration of HNO₃, the extraction ability decreased gradually, and SF_{Eu-152/ Am-241} decreased as 3 when [HNO₃] reached 4 M.Back extraction was successfully completed by using 1 M guanidine carbonate with 0.5 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or 1 M guanidine carbonate with 0.5 M diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), respectively. Slope analysis revealed a 1:3 complex was formed. Effect of temperature further clarified the extraction process was exothermic.

The extraction of Fe(III), Al(III), Zn(II), Pb(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II) from hydrochloric acid leaching solution of fly ash by using solvent extraction with 25% (v/v) tributyl phosphate (TBP), 35% (v/v) 2-octanol and 40% (v/v) kerosene was investigated. To achieve the separation of Fe(III) from Al(III), Zn(II), Pb(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II), five-stage counter-current batch simulation test was conducted under the conditions of O/A = 2/1, 25°C, 5 min, 3.66 mol/L of HCl, resulting in the extraction efficiencies of Fe(III) as 99.86%; and the separation coefficients, e.g. β_Fe/Al, β_Fe/Zn, β_Fe/Pb, β_Fe/Cu, β_Fe/Hg were ~∞, 1.7 × 10⁴, 1.8 × 10⁴, 2.1 × 10⁴, 6.7 × 10³, respectively; in addition, over 99.9% of Fe(III) could be stripped in a six-stage counter-current batch simulation test using 0.1 mol/L HCl. The mechanism of Fe(III) extraction using tributyl phosphate and 2- octanol was discussed according to FT-IR spectra results.

A novel soft N and hard O donor combined ligand including N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,3- diaminopropane-2-amide structure (TPTNA) was successfully synthesized. Its structure and complexation of Eu³⁺ in solid state and methanol solution respectively were investigated by X-ray crystallography, UV-vis titration and EXAFS spectroscopy. As a result, the chemical stoichiometry of Eu³⁺ complex with TPTNA was determined to be 1 : 1 by X-ray crystallography. It was found that one amide unit, two pyridine groups from TPTNA coordinated with one Eu³⁺. However, the Eu-O and Eu-N bond lengths obtained from theoretical fitting of the EXAFS data were consistent with the results from X-ray crystallography studies, reflecting retention of the structure in methanol solution.

A novel ionic liquid (IL) trioctyldodecyl phosphonium bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate was developed as a recovery agent for cobalt(II) and manganese(II) from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Absence of organic diluent provides an advantageous factor to IL-based extraction than the conventional one. Co(II) and Mn(II) were extracted quantitatively from the aqueous phase to the IL phase. Extracted Co(II) and Mn(II) were stripped from the IL using water and NH₄NO₃, respectively. After stripping, the IL can be reused as the extractant, facilitating the realization of a continuous extraction process. The developed hydrophobic IL shows promise as an extractant for Co(II) and Mn(II) from the spent LIBs.

The kinetics of the forward extraction of aluminum ion had been investigated using Lewis cells. The influences of the aluminum concentration, temperature, and interfacial area were studied. The extracted species was demonstrated to be AlL₃·(HL)₃ by stoichiometry studies and the mechanism of the extraction was explained. The results indicated that the extraction process was under mixed-control by the extraction reaction at the interface and the diffusion of the resultant in the organic phase. The activation energy was calculated to be 23.26 kJ/mol and was concordant with the mixed-control regime. Further analysis suggested that the reaction orders with respect to aluminum and extractant were 1 and 2, respectively, and the extraction rate constant was 10^−4.526 L²·g⁻²·s⁻¹. The total rate of the extraction reaction for AlL₃·(HL)₃ was given based on kinetic steps.

We report here the effect of increased amount of a water-immiscible ionic liquid (IL), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (P14-TFSI), enhancing the production amount of paclitaxel with in situ extraction from an aqueous medium in a plant cell culture. The productivity of paclitaxel in the culture including the IL of 10 vol% was 1.5 times greater than that of 2.5 vol%. Moreover, addition of an elicitor, methyl jasmonate (MJ) enhanced the production amount of paclitaxel in the culture including 10% P14-TFSI. The amount of paclitaxel in the culture including 1 µM MJ and 10 vol% P14-TFSI was more than 78 times greater than those in the control culture without both P14-TFSI and MJ, and two times greater than those in the culture including 2.5 vol% P14-TFSI alone.

The solubilities of palladium(II) β-diketonates (PdL₂, L = acetylacetonate (acac), trifluoroacetylacetonate (tfa), and thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (tta)) in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) from 318 – 338 K and 8 – 25 MPa were investigated by UV-vis spectrophotometer equipped with a high-pressure optical cell. The molar absorptivities for Pd(acac)₂, Pd(tfa)₂, and Pd(tta)₂ in SC-CO₂ were estimated as 1.14 × 10⁴ M^-1 cm^-1 at 324 nm, 8.16 × 10³ M^-1 cm^-1 at 336.5 nm, and 2.70 × 10⁴ M^-1 cm^-1 at 322.5 nm, respectively. Solubilities in SC-CO₂ increase in order of Pd(tta)₂ < Pd(acac)₂ < Pd(tfa)₂, i.e., 6.5 × 10^-6 < 5.2 × 10^-5 < 1.3 × 10^-4 M at 318 K and 11.5 MPa. The experimental solubilities were correlated using the equation proposed by Chrastil and the thermodynamic parameters for each PdL₂ were estimated.