Patent ID: 8623279

Claim:
An extraction column, comprising a column having a wall, wherein the wall has a substantially circular perimeter; a continuous porous coating disposed on the inner face of the wall, wherein the coating is made from the steps: obtaining a first sol-gel precursor, wherein the first precursor is hydroxy-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane), bis[(3-methyldimethoxysilyl)-propyl]polypropylene oxide, poly(tetrahydrofuran) 250, poly(ethylene glycol) MW 600, poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-diphenylsiloxane), dihydroxyterminated, or a derivative thereof; adding an ionic liquid to the first sol-gel precursor to form a precursor-ionic liquid mixture, wherein the ionic liquid is a phosphonium-based ionic liquid, imidazolium-based ionic liquid, pyridinium-based ionic liquid, or a combination thereof; mixing a second sol-gel precursor into the precursor-ionic liquid mixture, wherein the second sol-gel precursor is an alkoxy compound of an element M, where M is silicon, titanium, zirconium, germanium, vanadium, zinc, tantalum, niobium, tungsten; and mixing a catalyst into the precursor-ionic liquid mixture to form a sol-gel mixture, wherein the catalyst is an acid, base, or fluoride compound.