DOE OSTI · 3402118
Pinning ångström-size solid ionic channels for rare-earth element separation
Abstract
High-purity rare-earth elements are essential for modern technologies, yet current solvent extraction processes are energy-intensive and environmentally harmful because of inadequate selectivity and ligand toxicity. Although combining size exclusion and binding affinity can improve lanthanide separation, the role of long-range confinement remains underexplored. Here we report lanthanide separation in aqueous systems using extremely confined manganese oxide solid ionic channels with optimized layer spacing. Different lanthanides induce distinct solid-state phase transformations in manganese oxide, creating a strong driving force for separation. Two lanthanide groups, differing by ~1.4 Å in spacing, were identified and confirmed to be stable by density functional theory. The narrower confinement of heavier Group II lanthanides improves cross-group separation by increasing the dehydration barrier for lighter Group I lanthanides without inducing strong binding. Here, we further developed a strategy to pin the confinement dimensions and enhance same-group separation, increasing enrichment factors for La–Nd and La–Pr pairs from 1.6 ± 0.1 and 1.5 ± 0.1 to 5.4 ± 0.1 and 4.2 ± 0.1, respectively.
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Zou, Siqi [University of Chicago, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000153675800), Liu, Jiadong [University of Chicago, IL (United States)], Jeon, Woo Cheol [Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)] (ORCID:000000024119023X), Wang, Maoyu [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)], Wu, Ronghui [University of Chicago, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000207529383), Han, Yu [University of Chicago, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000179050032), Yan, Gangbin [University of Chicago, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000247119063), Hill, Grant T. [University of Chicago, IL (United States)] (ORCID:000000026344304X), Yue, Xiaolin [University of Chicago, IL (United States)], Zhou, Hua [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000196428674), Schatz, George C. [Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000158374740), Liu, Chong [University of Chicago, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000348517888). 2026-07-21. Pinning ångström-size solid ionic channels for rare-earth element separation. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44286-026-00418-8
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