This article from Phys org discusses a study led by Professor Xiao Su and his team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The research focuses on understanding how solvation and ion valency affect metallopolymers, which are critical in processes like materials recovery and environmental remediation. Using techniques like neutron reflectometry and molecular dynamics, the study specifically examines how different ions interact with redox polymer films. They discovered that solvation significantly influences ion selectivity, which could enhance ion separation technologies used in recycling and metal recovery. The full article is available for a more detailed read here: