Green separation of rare earth elements by valence-selective crystallization of MOFs

Abstract

Herein, a novel valence-selective crystallization (VSC) strategy is developed for the precise separation of Ce element from rare earth (RE) mixtures by selectively crystallizing Ce(IV) into pre-designed metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). The designed VSC strategy features fast separation speed, mild separation conditions, pollution-free operation, high separation efficiency, a wide selection range of ligands and extensibility to other elements.