Trends in Chemistry最新文献

Bioconversion of lignocellulosics to ethanol is significantly hindered by biomass recalcitrance and, therefore, often requires a biomass pretreatment step. Furan-based compounds such as furfural (FF) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are versatile building blocks for fuels and chemicals. However, their production during pretreatment often suffers from low yield and low separation efficiency. Biphasic solvent systems are capable of reducing biomass recalcitrance and extracting furans into the organic phase, thus preventing their degradation, increasing their yield, and allowing much easier separation. The development of a sustainable biphasic solvent system is essential to the furan-driven biorefinery and has drawn significant attention. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the development of biphasic solvent systems in lignocellulosic biorefinery for improving the production of liquid fuels and furan-based compounds.

Lantern-shaped cages are generally comprised of two square planar metal ions linked by four ditopic ligands. They mainly form easily and predictably and make a structure with a small cavity well-suited for host–guest chemistry. These cages have been at the forefront of efforts by chemists to develop strategies for enhanced structural complexity in self-assembled metallo-supramolecular systems, which in the past few years have reached new heights. This review looks at the techniques employed to garner this complexity, with focus on the latest examples and the most recently developed methodologies.

Functionalized aligned and non-aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have demonstrated outstanding physicochemical properties for a wide range of potential applications in energy conversion and storage, environmental remediation, and health care. In this review, we systematically summarize numerous innovative strategies developed for both covalent and non-covalent, functionalization of aligned and non-aligned CNTs with various heteroatom dopants, functional groups, small molecules, and/or macromolecules. Different unique chemical functionalization approaches reported for aligned CNTs include asymmetric and tube length-specific functionalization, multicomponent micropatterning, and end-opening for encapsulation/inner-wall modification. With a broader scope, we cover current challenges and future perspectives of CNTs in exciting new emerging fields, ranging from electrochemical catalysis for energy conversion/storage and environment protection, through sensing, to biomedical technologies.

Plastics possess highly unsustainable linear life cycles that are environmentally damaging. With low recycling rates worldwide, plastics upcycling is emerging as a promising alternative by using these abundant waste products as chemical feedstock for the production of materials and essential chemicals of higher economic value. However, the saturated C–C polymer backbones of polymers constituting ~60% of all plastic waste are unreactive and challenging to upcycle, often necessitating energy-intensive processes. This review examines state-of-the-art sustainable approaches employing the Principles of Green Chemistry to functionalize or cleave these unreactive polymer backbones, including alternative solvents, Earth-abundant metal catalysis, emerging low-energy approaches, and biocatalysis. Such sustainable strategies will enhance the attractiveness and practical feasibility of plastics upcycling to achieve a circular materials economy.