TY - CONF A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Stawski, Tomasz T1 - Trash to treasure: recovery of transition metal phosphates for (electro-)catalytical applications N2 - Wastewaters containing high concentrations of NH4+, PO43- and transition metals are environmentally harmful and toxic pollutants. At the same time phosphorous and transition metals constitute valuable resources. Here, we report the synthesis routes for Co- and Ni-struvites (NH4MPO4∙6H2O, M = Ni2+, Co2+) out of aqueous solutions resembling synthetic/industrial waste water compositions, and allowing for P, ammonia and metal co-precipitation. Furthermore, the as-obtained struvites were further up-cycled. When heated, these transition metal phosphates (TMPs) demonstrate significant changes in the degree of crystallinity/coordination environment involving a high amount of amorphous phases and importantly develop mesoporosity (Figure 1). In this regard, amorphous and mesoporous TMPs are known to be highly promising (electro-)catalysts. Amorphous phases do not represent a simple “disordered” crystal but more a complex system with a broad range of compositions and physicochemical properties, which remain mostly unknown. Consequently, we investigated the recrystallization and amorphization process during thermal treatment and a resolved the complex amorphous/crystalline structures (Figure 2). As a proof-of-principle for their applicational use, the as-obtained TMPs demonstrate significant proton conductivity properties similar to apatite-like structures from room to high temperatures (>800°C). Hence, we have developed a promising recycling route in which environmental harmful contaminants like PO43-, NH4+ and 3d metals would be extracted out of waste waters in the form of precursor raw materials. These raw materials can be then further up-cycled through a simple thermal treatment for their specific application in electrocatalysis. T2 - Goldschmidt Conference 2022 CY - Hawai'i, USA DA - 10.07.2022 KW - Mesoporosity KW - Amorphous phases KW - Transition metals KW - Struvite KW - Phosphates PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-552852 UR - https://conf.goldschmidt.info/goldschmidt/2022/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/9501 AN - OPUS4-55285 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Kochovski, Z. A1 - Retzmann, Anika A1 - Scoppola, E. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Stawski, Tomasz T1 - How do transition metal phosphates crystallise? N2 - Industrial and agricultural waste streams (waste waters, sludges, tailings etc.), which contain high concentrations of NH4+, PO43- and transition metals, are environmentally harmful due to their toxic pollutants. At the same time, phosphorus and selective transition metals such as Cobalt could be potentially depleted as a critical raw material due to the high demand and rapidly declining natural ore deposits. Therefore, due to simultaneous scarcity and abundance, the phosphorus and 3d metal recovery from agricultural, industrial, mining, or urban wastewaters have been an important factor in sustaining our global consumption and preservation of the natural environment. Typically, separate pathways have been considered to extract hazardous substances such as transition metals or phosphate, independently from each other. Here, we investigate the crystallization of transition metal phosphate (TMP) compounds (NH4MPO4∙6H2O, M3(PO4)2∙8H2O with M = Ni2+, Co2+, NixCo1-x2+ M-struvite and M-phosphate octahydrate) out of aqueous solutions, which allow for P, ammonia and metal co-precipitation. The precipitation of these compounds from industrial and agricultural waste waters has high potential as a P- and 3d metal recovery route. For this purpose, a detailed understanding of the crystallization process beginning from combination of solved ions and ending in a final crystalline product is required. Through adjusting the reaction conditions, the stability, crystallite size and morphology of the as-obtained TMPs could be controlled. Detailed investigations of the precipitation process in time using ex- and in-situ techniques provided new insights into their non-classical crystallization mechanism/crystal engineering of these materials. These TMPs involve transitional colloidal nanophases during the crystallization process. Over time, their complex amorphous framework changes significantly resulting simultaneously in an agglomeration and densification of the compound. After extended reaction times these colloidal nanophases condensed to a final crystal. However, the reaction kinetics of the formation of a final crystalline product and the lifetime of these intermediate phases vary significantly depending on the metal cation involved in the precipitation process. Ni-struvite is stable in a wide reactant concentration range and at different metal/phosphorus (M/P)-ratios, whereas Co tends to form Co-struvite and/or Co-phosphate octahydrate depending on the (M/P)-ratio. The mixed NixCo1-x system shows a significantly different crystallization behavior and reaction kinetics of the precipitation compared to the pure endmembers. The observed various degree of stability could be linked to the octahedral metal coordination environment in these compounds. The achieved level of control over the precipitates, is highly desirable for 3d- and P-recovery methods. Under this paradigm, the crystals can be potentially upcycled as precursor materials for (electro)catalytical applications. T2 - Granada Münster Discussion Meeting (GMDM) CY - Granada, Spain DA - 30.11.2022 KW - Struvite KW - Transition metal KW - Phosphates KW - Amorphous phases KW - Non-classical crystallization PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56478 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Kochovski, Z. A1 - Scoppola, E. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Stawski, Tomasz T1 - Crystallization study of transition metal phosphates: A novel example for non-classical crystallization theory N2 - Industrial and agricultural waste streams (waste waters, sludges, tailings etc.) which contain high concentrations of NH4+, PO43- and transition metals are environmentally harmful and toxic pollutants . Typically, separate pathways have been considered to extract hazardous and transition metals or phosphate as critical raw materials, independently from each other. Here, we report the synthesis routes for transition metal phosphate (TMP) compounds (M3(PO4)2∙8H2O, NH4MPO4∙6H2O, M = Ni2+, Co2+, M-struvite and M-phosphate octahydrate), which allow for P, ammonia and metal co-precipitation. The precipitation of these compounds from industrial and agricultural waste waters could be a promising P-recovery route. Through adjusting the reaction conditions, the stability, crystallite size and morphology of the as-obtained TMP could be controlled. Detailed investigations of the precipitation process using ex- and in-situ techniques provided new insights into their non-classical crystallization mechanism/crystal engineering of these materials. These TMPs involve transitional colloidal nanophases which subsequently aggregate and condense to final crystals after extended reaction times. However, the reaction kinetics of the formation of a final crystalline product vary significantly depending on the metal cation(s) involved in the precipitation process. The occurring amorphous nanophases seem to majorly influence the outcome of crystallization. Ni-struvite is stable in a wide reactant concentration range and at different metal/phosphorus (M/P)-ratios, whereas Co tends to form Co-struvite and/or Co-phosphate octahydrate depending on the (M/P)-ratio. The observed various degree of stability could be linked to the octahedral metal coordination environment. The achieved level of control over the precipitates, is highly desirable for 3d- and P-recovery methods. Under this paradigm, the crystals can be potentially upcycled as precursor materials for (electro)catalytical applications 4. T2 - GeoMin Köln Konferenz 2022 CY - Cologne, Germany DA - 11.09.2022 KW - Non-classical crystallization theory KW - Amorphous phases KW - Transition metal KW - Phosphates KW - Diffraction PY - 2022 UR - https://www.geominkoeln2022.de/programme.html AN - OPUS4-55874 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Stawski, Tomasz A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Evolution of mesoporous frameworks from precipitated struvite-structured metal phosphate materialsls N2 - Mesoporous transition metal phosphates (TMPs) have attracted major interest due to their high (electro-)catalytic activity suitable for H2 generation, supercapacitors or batteries. Typically, mesoporous materials are synthesized via a template-based route. This way is in the case of TMP because the surfactants used are difficult to remove due to the sensitivity of the mesoporous framework. We present a template-free method including the formation of a precursor phase called M-struvite (NH4MPO4•6H2O, M = Mg2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Ni2+xCo2+1-x) to synthesize mesoporous and amorphous metal phosphates. This method relies on the thermal decomposition of crystalline M-struvite precursors to an amorphous and simultaneous mesoporous phase associated with the degassing of NH3 and H2O. The temporal evolution of mesoporous frameworks and the response of the coordination metal coordination environment was followed with diffraction and spectroscopy based in-situ and ex-situ methods. We highlight the systematic differences in absolute surface area, pore shape, pore size, and phase transitions between the chemical systems. In a complex amorphous structure, thermal decomposed Mg-, Ni- and NixCo1-x-struvites exhibit high surface areas and pore volumes for phosphate materials with a spherical to channel-like pore geometry (240 m²g-1 and 0.32 cm-3 g-1 for Mg and 90 m²g-1 and 0.13 cm-3 g-1 for Ni). In addition to this low-cost, environmentally friendly and simple synthesis, M-struvites could grow as a recycling product from industrial and agricultural wastewaters. These waste products could be upcycled through a simple thermal treatment for further applications. T2 - SNI 2022 - German Conference for Research with Synchrotron Radiation, Neutrons and Ion Beams at Large Facilities CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 05.07.2022 KW - Struvite KW - Transition metal KW - Phosphate KW - Amorphous phases KW - Mesoporosity PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55911 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stawski, Tomasz A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Evolution of mesoporous frameworks from precipitated struvite-structured metal phosphate materials N2 - Mesoporous transition metal phosphates (TMPs) have attracted major interest due to their high (electro-)catalytic activity suitable for H2 generation, supercapacitors or batteries. Typically, mesoporous materials are synthesized via a template-based route. This way is in the case of TMP because the surfactants used are difficult to remove due to the sensitivity of the mesoporous framework. We present a template-free method including the formation of a precursor phase called M-struvite (NH4MPO4•6H2O, M = Mg2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Ni2+xCo2+1-x) to synthesize mesoporous and amorphous metal phosphates. This method relies on the thermal decomposition of crystalline M-struvite precursors to an amorphous and simultaneous mesoporous phase associated with the degassing of NH3 and H2O. The temporal evolution of mesoporous frameworks and the response of the coordination metal coordination environment was followed with diffraction and spectroscopy based in-situ and ex-situ methods. We highlight the systematic differences in absolute surface area, pore shape, pore size, and phase transitions between the chemical systems. In a complex amorphous structure, thermal decomposed Mg-, Ni- and NixCo1-x-struvites exhibit high surface areas and pore volumes for phosphate materials with a spherical to channel-like pore geometry (240 m²g-1 and 0.32 cm-3 g-1 for Mg and 90 m²g-1 and 0.13 cm-3 g-1 for Ni). In addition to this low-cost, environmentally friendly and simple synthesis, M-struvites could grow as a recycling product from industrial and agricultural wastewaters. These waste products could be upcycled through a simple thermal treatment for further applications. T2 - ECCG7, European Conference on Crystal Growth CY - Paris, France DA - 25.07.2022 KW - Transition metals KW - Phosphates KW - Struvite KW - Amorphous phases KW - Mesoporosity PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55491 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Stawski, Tomasz A1 - Scoppola, E. A1 - Kochovski, Z. A1 - Retzmann, Anika A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Crystallization study of transition metal phosphates: Characterization of a non-classical crystallization pathway N2 - Industrial and agricultural waste streams (waste waters, sludges, tailings etc.), which contain high concentrations of NH4+, PO43- and transition metals, are environmentally harmful due to their toxic pollutants. At the same time, phosphorus and selective transition metals such as Cobalt could be potentially depleted as a critical raw material due to the high demand and rapidly declining natural ore deposits. Therefore, due to simultaneous scarcity and abundance, the phosphorus and 3d metal recovery from agricultural, industrial, mining, or urban wastewaters have been an important factor in sustaining our global consumption and preservation of the natural environment. Typically, separate pathways have been considered to extract hazardous substances such as transition metals or phosphate, independently from each other. Here, we investigate the crystallization of transition metal phosphate (TMP) compounds (NH4MPO4∙6H2O, M3(PO4)2∙8H2O with M = Ni2+, Co2+, NixCo1-x2+ M-struvite and M-phosphate octahydrate) out of aqueous solutions, which allow for P, ammonia and metal co-precipitation. The precipitation of these compounds from industrial and agricultural waste waters has high potential as a P- and 3d metal recovery route. For this purpose, a detailed understanding of the crystallization process beginning from combination of solved ions and ending in a final crystalline product is required. Through adjusting the reaction conditions, the stability, crystallite size and morphology of the as-obtained TMPs could be controlled. Detailed investigations of the precipitation process in time using ex- and in-situ techniques provided new insights into their non-classical crystallization mechanism/crystal engineering of these materials. These TMPs involve transitional colloidal nanophases during the crystallization process. Over time, their complex amorphous framework changes significantly resulting simultaneously in an agglomeration and densification of the compound. After extended reaction times these colloidal nanophases condensed to a final crystal. However, the reaction kinetics of the formation of a final crystalline product and the lifetime of these intermediate phases vary significantly depending on the metal cation involved in the precipitation process. Ni-struvite is stable in a wide reactant concentration range and at different metal/phosphorus (M/P)-ratios, whereas Co tends to form Co-struvite and/or Co-phosphate octahydrate depending on the (M/P)-ratio. The mixed NixCo1-x system shows a significantly different crystallization behavior and reaction kinetics of the precipitation compared to the pure endmembers. The observed various degree of stability could be linked to the octahedral metal coordination environment in these compounds. The achieved level of control over the precipitates, is highly desirable for 3d- and P-recovery methods. Under this paradigm, the crystals can be potentially upcycled as precursor materials for (electro)catalytical applications. T2 - HZB Usermeeting 2023 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.06.2023 KW - Struvite KW - Transition metal KW - Phosphates KW - Crystallization KW - Amorphous phases PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57775 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Kochovski, Z. A1 - Scoppola, E. A1 - Retzmann, Anika A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - ten Elshof, J. E. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Stawski, Tomasz Maciej T1 - Nonclassical Crystallization Pathway of Transition Metal Phosphate Compounds JF - Chemistry of Materials N2 - Here, we elucidate nonclassical multistep crystallization pathways of transition metal phosphates from aqueous solutions. We followed precipitation processes of M-struvites, NH4MPO4·6H2O, and M-phosphate octahydrates, M3(PO4)2·8H2O, where M = Ni, Co, or NixCo1–x, by using in situ scattering and spectroscopy-based techniques, supported by elemental mass spectrometry analyses and advanced electron microscopy. Ni and Co phosphates crystallize via intermediate colloidal amorphous nanophases, which change their complex structures while agglomerating, condensing, and densifying throughout the extended reaction times. We reconstructed the three-dimensional morphology of these precursors by employing cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). We found that the complex interplay between metastable amorphous colloids and protocrystalline units determines the reaction pathways. Ultimately, the same crystalline structure, such as struvite, is formed. However, the multistep process stages vary in complexity and can last from a few minutes to several hours depending on the selected transition metal(s), their concentration, and the Ni/Co ratio. KW - Non-classical crystallization theory KW - Transition metals KW - Phosphates KW - Amorphous phases KW - Intermediate phases PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c02346 SN - 1520-5002 VL - 35 IS - 24 SP - 10645 EP - 10657 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) CY - Washington D.C. AN - OPUS4-59135 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -