Sustainable Energy & Fuels最新文献

This investigation reports an environmentally benign approach to meet the current paradigm of synthesizing fossil fuel alternatives, contributing to a sustainable future. For this, a novel catalytic material designed to advance both chemical science and sustainable technology has been engineered. A systematic strategy has been employed to upgrade the Brønsted acidity of zeolite Hβ through the incorporation of 12-tungstophosphoric acid, providing a heterogeneous catalyst whose structural, acidic, and textural features have been established via physicochemical characterization. It is applied for the first time in the esterification of highly promising bioplatform molecules, levulinic acid and succinic acid, and exhibits significant selectivity toward the production of butyl levulinate (99%) and dibutyl succinate (82%), both of which are recognized as promising clean-energy biofuel additives. A kinetics study validated the chemical steps by measuring activation energy values (>60 kJ mol⁻¹). Extending the overall versatility of this catalyst, methanol, ethanol, propanol, pentanol, hexanol and heptanol were utilized in the esterification and yielded remarkable conversion rates to produce levulinates and succinates of C1–C7 alcohols, demonstrating its high potential in industry. In addition, regeneration and scale-up studies were conducted, and industrially and environmentally important metrics, such as Environmental Factor, Process Mass Intensity and Carbon Efficiency, were computed to demonstrate their industrial applicability. This study introduces a functional catalytic material that integrates catalysis, green processing and sustainable technologies, providing an environmentally efficient route to convert renewable feedstocks into next-generation fuel additives.

The synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of ternary sulfur – diphenyl(4-vinylphenyl) phosphine – dicyclopentadiene (SPD) polymers is reported. Polymers with a homogenous particle size around 80 nm were prepared by inverse vulcanisation and anti-solvent precipitation methods. The nanoparticulate polymer led to a uniform morphology of the electrode and high accessibility of the electrochemically active sulfur leading to a specific capacity of 1436 mAh g_s⁻¹ and improved cycling stability, relative to comparative samples prepared at micrometre scale.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) show great potential as future energy storage systems for next-generation applications. However, zinc anodes face challenges like dendrite formation, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reactions, which severely limit their performance and practical applications. Herein, zinc selenide carbon nanofibers (ZnSe/CNFs) were fabricated using an electrospinning technique followed by carbonization and selenization processes and employed as anode protection material. This unique structure enhances electrical conductivity and mechanical stability while effectively inhibiting dendrite growth and additional reactions involving the zinc anode through the three-dimensional network structure of CNFs. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that zinc anodes, when protected by a ZnSe/CNF composite, exhibit excellent cycling stability in symmetric batteries. At a current density of 1 mA cm⁻², cycling stability can be sustained for over 1700 h with a significantly lower polarization voltage. Furthermore, the ZnSe/CNFs@Zn‖V₂O₅ battery achieves excellent rate capability and long cycle life, maintaining an areal capacity of 109 mAh g⁻¹ after 2000 cycles at 5 A g⁻¹. This study demonstrates the successful preparation of high-performance ZnSe/CNFs materials through electrospinning and selenization strategies, providing an efficient and scalable solution for Zn anode protection.

In this study, Na-doped and Ag-doped as well as (Na, Ag) co-doped SnS_0.9Se_0.1 nanoparticles were synthesized via a wet chemical route, and the structures and thermoelectric properties of their hot-pressed sintered bodies were systematically investigated. Nanostructuring significantly reduced the lattice thermal conductivity, and all samples exhibited a pronounced suppression of heat transport compared to bulk SnS. The electrical conductivity was markedly enhanced by Na doping, and the SnS_0.9Se_0.1:Na sample achieved a maximum ZT of 0.14 at 658 K. In contrast, (Na, Ag) co-doped samples showed limited increases in carrier concentration and electronic properties comparable to those of the Ag-only doped sample. Atom probe tomography analysis revealed the formation of Na-rich clusters and Ag non-uniformly distributed near nanograin boundaries, along with Ag and Na distributed throughout the matrix. The solute concentrations of Na and Ag in the matrix were measured to be 0.15 at% and 0.096 at%, respectively, and charge compensation between them was confirmed to suppress the carrier enhancement effect of Na doping. These findings demonstrate that the interplay between dopant spatial distribution and defect chemistry critically governs the electronic transport properties of SnS-based thermoelectric materials, providing new insights for microstructural control and doping strategies.

A key problem for materials that form lead-based perovskite is the part of organic iodide that is oxidized and forms molecular I₂, which negatively affects the efficiency and stability of the solar cell. Herein, we explored adding special compounds, two borohydride salts, potassium borohydride (KBH₄) and sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), into the perovskite precursor solution. These borohydride salts help prevent the oxidation process by acting as reducing agents, preventing the defects caused by I₂ by converting it back to I⁻. Also, I₃⁻ is generated from I₂ and I⁻, which has a strong binding affinity to FA⁺, leading to deprotonation and decomposition of the perovskite. Borohydride salts can prevent this degradation and help stabilize the precursor solution. Furthermore, borohydride salts have a second role, enhancing film crystallinity and defect passivation and increasing humidity resistance, which improves overall stability and device performance. As a result, a promising efficiency of 20% is achieved, exhibiting long-term stability.

The sustainable recovery of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is a growing priority for the energy transition, yet existing recycling technologies such as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy remain energy-intensive and environmentally burdensome. Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) have recently emerged as promising alternatives to volatile organic solvents, offering advantages such as low volatility, tunable intermolecular interactions, and the ability to sustain synergistic extraction mechanisms. This review critically evaluates HDES-based extraction systems reported to date, comparing their performance to conventional kerosene-diluted solvents while integrating evidence from life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic analyses. Across diverse formulations, HDESs often achieve comparable or superior lithium separation, particularly by reproducing cooperative effects between extractants without the need for external diluents. However, current systems remain constrained by high solvent mass inputs, energy-intensive synthesis, and continued reliance on conventional commercial extractants, which limits selectivity for lithium over divalent cations. From these comparisons, key insights emerge: HDESs represent a genuine step toward greener lithium recovery, yet their long-term impact depends on designing novel extractants tailored to the eutectic environment, improving scalability, and addressing synthesis-related energy burdens.

The fixation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), boronic acid (BA) and aromatic aldehyde for the production of solar chemicals is gaining increasing importance due to its worldwide industrial importance. To achieve this, we herein report the synthesis and development of a highly efficient solar-responsive sulfur-bridged-two-dimensional rose bengal (SB-2DRB) framework composite via a thermal condensation technique. The composite photocatalyst/biocatalyst system using SB-2DRB functions in a highly efficient manner, leading to high NADH regeneration (62.54%), followed by its consumption in exclusive benzyl alcohol production (166.7 µL) from benzaldehyde, along with the synthesis of phenol (96%). The present research endeavour highlights the development and application of a sulfur-based photocatalyst for value-added direct solar fuel formation under solar light.

Redox flow batteries (RFBs), with decoupled scaling in energy and power, are an attractive solution for grid scale energy storage. Given the low margins and extreme price sensitivity of electricity supply, it is critically important for RFBs to reduce capital and operating costs. Improving the operating power density and energy efficiency of the RFB is a pathway towards lowered costs, but achieving simultaneous improvements in both parameters is hampered by the fact that they are typically inversely correlated. This study demonstrates a 50% improvement in operating power density of an aqueous, electrode-decoupled titanium–cerium RFB without loss of energy efficiency through electrode engineering driven by fundamental investigations of charge-transfer kinetics at the Ti and Ce electrodes. Exploiting the significant difference in reaction kinetics between the Ti and Ce actives, the interfacial area and surface functionalization (affecting electrode–electrolyte contact angles and kinetics of charge transfer) of the electrode were optimized to increase operating power while reducing overall cell resistance. This resulted in an increase in operating current density of a Ti–Ce RFB from 100 mA cm⁻² to 150 mA cm⁻², sustaining ∼70% energy efficiency over 80 h and 100 cycles. Notably, this study shows the key role played by the rate limiting electrode and the effect of electrode surface area in improving its performance. Overall, this study offers a template to significantly improve the overall performance of kinetically limited aqueous RFBs without catalysts or electrolyte reformulation.

The energy transition, alongside sufficiency measures, demands massive electrification supported by low-carbon electricity. However, carbon-based molecules will remain vital, especially in sectors like long-distance transport (aviation and shipping) and chemicals. Biogenic, atmospheric, or recycled carbon sources offer key alternatives to fossil fuels in the shift toward a circular carbon economy, aligning with sustainability goals like the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). Based on 183 case studies, this work analyzes thermochemical conversion processes for fuel production, using lignocellulosic biomass, CO₂, and low-carbon hydrogen from electrolysis. Nine biofuel, e-fuel, and e-biofuel processes are evaluated, producing liquid hydrocarbons, synthetic natural gas, or methanol. Material and energy balances, determined using ProSimPlus®, compare carbon conversion and energy efficiency. Economic analysis estimates investment and production costs for industrial-scale units, while greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment considers different electricity mixes and biomass supply chains. The results show that substituting biomass with hydrogen improves carbon conversion: from 35–40% for biofuels to 65–70% for e-biofuels, and up to 80–85% for e-fuels with carbon capture. Hybrid energy sources boost energy efficiency for e-biofuels (61.3%) compared to biofuels (50.3%). However, using electricity (100 € per MWh) raises production costs, which are heavily dependent on electricity price assumptions. Aligning e-fuel and e-biofuel production with RED III requires a largely decarbonized electricity mix, while more comprehensive emission assessments are necessary for biofuels and e-biofuels, considering potential land-use impacts of massive biomass production.

Graphitic Carbon Nitride (GCN) has garnered significant attention in recent decades as a potential candidate for various photocatalytic activities due to its ability to respond to visible light and its broad range of potential applications. Despite its high chemical stability, suitable band gap, rapid accessibility and unique layered structure, GCN suffers from several limitations, including fast recombination rate, carrier separation of charge and partial visible light absorption, that make it unsuitable for further applications. Researchers are focused on tuning the electronic structure of GCN by altering its morphology via interaction with other highly conducting materials or by doping at its structural defects. This review presents the elaborate history of the introduction of GCN, provides an overview of the structure and morphological properties of GCN, and focuses on the variety of synthesis techniques of GCN composites using chemical and biological methods. Finally, the photocatalytic applications of GCN composites for both environmental and energy applications are discussed. Environmental applications include water remediation, adsorption of waste materials, disinfection and removal. Energy applications involve water splitting, CO₂ reduction and H₂O₂ production. Alternative applications like organic transformation reactions are also briefly discussed in this review.