A Pt/nano ZrO₂–SO₄ bifunctional metal–acid catalyst was synthesized using a hydrothermal process.

Persimmon tannin was chemically modified to prepare a quaternary amine type of adsorption gel, named as quaternary amine modified persimmon tannin (QAPT) gel. The QAPT gel has been used to investigate the adsorption behaviors for Au(III), Pd(II), and Pt(IV) from HCl media. It was found that the gel exhibited good selectivity towards precious metals over a wide concentration range of HCl. However, it exhibited poor affinity towards base metals such as Cu(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), and Zn(II). The adsorption isotherms of the gel for precious metal ions were described by the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities for Au(III), Pd(II), and Pt(IV) were evaluated as 4.16, 0.84, and 0.52 mmol g⁻¹, respectively. Although the anion exchange is the main mechanism for the adsorption of anionic species of Au(III), Pt(IV), and Pd(II), adsorption of Au(III) is followed by subsequent reduction, which results in the extraordinary high adsorption capacity for Au(III). Adsorption behavior of QATP gel for Au(III) was also compared to that of the persimmon tannin, the feed material.

Biosorbents for remediating aquatic environmental media polluted with hazardous heavy metals and metalloids such as Pb(II), Cr(VI), Sb(III and V), and As(III and V) were prepared from lignin waste, orange and apple juice residues, seaweed and persimmon and grape wastes using simple and cheap methods. A lignophenol gel such as lignocatechol gel was prepared by immobilizing the catechol functional groups onto lignin from sawdust, while lignosulfonate gel was prepared directly from waste liquor generated during pulp production. These gels effectively removed Pb(II). Orange and apple juice residues, which are rich in pectic acid, were easily converted using alkali (e.g., calcium hydroxide) into biosorbents that effectively removed Pb(II). These materials also effectively removed Sb(III and V) and As(III and V) when these were preloaded with multi-valent metal ions such as Zr(IV) and Fe(III). Similar biosorbents were prepared from seaweed waste, which is rich in alginic acid. Other biosorbents, which effectively removed Cr(VI), were prepared by simply treating persimmon and grape wastes with concentrated sulfuric acid.

Stepwise recovery of silver(I), palladium(II) and platinum(IV) with suitable calix[4]arene extractants was carried out by investigating the extraction and stripping process using a droplet-based microreactor system. The highest percentages of silver, palladium (100%) and platinum ion (37.2%) were extracted from a real waste only within 4.00s using a microreactor system compared with 24 and 72 h to reach extraction equilibrium in a batch method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies revealed a very good relation in peak shifts on the metal complexation with calix[4]arene derivatives after extraction and stripping. The droplet-based microreactor system emerges as an effective tool to be applied in metal recovery.