Macrocyclic ligand decorated ordered mesoporous silica with large-pore and short-channel characteristics for effective separation of lithium isotopes: synthesis, adsorptive behavior study and DFT modeling

Abstract

Effective separation of lithium isotopes is of strategic value which attracts growing attention worldwide. This study reports a new class of macrocyclic ligand decorated ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) with large-pore and short-channel characteristics, which holds the potential to effectively separate lithium isotopes in aqueous solutions. Initially, a series of benzo-15-crown-5 (B15C5) derivatives containing different electron-donating or -withdrawing substituents were synthesized. Extractive separation of lithium isotopes in a liquid–liquid system was comparatively studied, highlighting the effect of the substituent, solvent, counter anion and temperature. The optimal NH₂-B15C5 ligands were then covalently anchored to a short-channel SBA-15 OMS precursor bearing alkyl halides via a post-modification protocol. Adsorptive separation of the lithium isotopes was fully investigated, combined with kinetics and thermodynamics analysis, and simulation by using classic adsorption isotherm models. The NH₂-B15C5 ligand functionalized OMSs exhibited selectivity to lithium ions against other alkali metal ions including K(I). Additionally, a more efficient separation of lithium isotopes could be obtained at a lower temperature in systems with softer counter anions and solvents with a lower dielectric constant. The highest value separation factor (α = 1.049 ± 0.002) was obtained in CF₃COOLi aqueous solution at 288.15 K. Moreover, theoretical computation based on the density functional theory (DFT) was performed to elucidate the complexation interactions between the macrocyclic ligands and lithium ions. A suggested mechanism involving an isotopic exchange equilibrium was proposed to describe the lithium isotope separation by the functionalized OMSs.