Pub Date : 2024-11-29DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00142-1
Joseph Sang-Il Kwon
Joseph Sang-Il Kwon explores how integrating big data with physics-based models can enhance accuracy and insights, particularly in drug discovery and solving high-dimensional problems.
Joseph Sang-Il Kwon探讨了如何将大数据与基于物理的模型相结合，以提高准确性和洞察力，特别是在药物发现和解决高维问题方面。
{"title":"Adding big data into the equation","authors":"Joseph Sang-Il Kwon","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00142-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00142-1","url":null,"abstract":"Joseph Sang-Il Kwon explores how integrating big data with physics-based models can enhance accuracy and insights, particularly in drug discovery and solving high-dimensional problems.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"724-724"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-29DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00155-w
Rita Leones
{"title":"Membraneless electrochemical extraction of lithium from brines","authors":"Rita Leones","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00155-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00155-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"674-674"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-29DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00159-6
Work at the systems level plays a pivotal part in driving engineering advances. In this Editorial, we discuss the role of the Analysis research article format in accelerating breakthroughs in systems engineering science.
{"title":"Analysis articles in the context of chemical engineering","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00159-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00159-6","url":null,"abstract":"Work at the systems level plays a pivotal part in driving engineering advances. In this Editorial, we discuss the role of the Analysis research article format in accelerating breakthroughs in systems engineering science.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"671-671"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-024-00159-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-29DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00157-8
Mo Qiao
{"title":"Electrochemical ion pumping","authors":"Mo Qiao","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00157-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00157-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"673-673"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-20DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00146-x
Industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well defined. Now, process simulations and a techno-economic analysis identify barriers to the future commercial viability of this technology and the key process requirements and advances needed to make the process feasible.
{"title":"Design and assessment of electrochemical carbonate-to-ethylene processes","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00146-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00146-x","url":null,"abstract":"Industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well defined. Now, process simulations and a techno-economic analysis identify barriers to the future commercial viability of this technology and the key process requirements and advances needed to make the process feasible.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"678-679"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-20DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00137-y
Anush Venkataraman, Hakhyeon Song, Victor D. Brandão, Chen Ma, Magdalena Salazar Casajus, Carlos A. Fernandez Otero, Carsten Sievers, Marta C. Hatzell, Saket S. Bhargava, Sukaran S. Arora, Carlos Villa, Sandeep Dhingra, Sankar Nair
Electrolyzer architectures using bipolar membranes (BPMs) to convert alkaline aqueous carbonates into hydrocarbons are a potential solution to overcome limitations of conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) electrolyzers. We present comprehensive process designs, simulations and a techno-economic evaluation of integrated electrolysis-based systems (from CO2 capture to product separation and stream recycling) for the production of ethylene from carbonates. Using three different scenarios for an ethylene plant with a production capacity of 2 million metric tons per year, a set of key projected performance metrics has been determined. Carbonates for electrolysis sourced from direct air capture and flue gas capture scenarios showed equivalent economics in the optimistic scenario. Concentration of capture carbonates to at least 1.5 M by alkali-stable membranes upstream of the electrolyzer is needed to make the overall process feasible. Electrolyzer sizing, configuration and costing are examined in detail to better account for economies of scale. Emerging improvements in BPM-based processes—primarily in the electrolyzer design and BPM performance—can lead to a minimum selling price that is lower than for conventional CO2 electrolysis and approaching that achieved via naphtha-based processes. Future industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well understood. The authors develop unit operations and full process designs, evaluate the techno-economics at scale, identify key process requirements and barriers, and elucidate the minimum benchmarks needed for the future commercial viability of this technology.
{"title":"Process and techno-economic analyses of ethylene production by electrochemical reduction of aqueous alkaline carbonates","authors":"Anush Venkataraman, Hakhyeon Song, Victor D. Brandão, Chen Ma, Magdalena Salazar Casajus, Carlos A. Fernandez Otero, Carsten Sievers, Marta C. Hatzell, Saket S. Bhargava, Sukaran S. Arora, Carlos Villa, Sandeep Dhingra, Sankar Nair","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00137-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00137-y","url":null,"abstract":"Electrolyzer architectures using bipolar membranes (BPMs) to convert alkaline aqueous carbonates into hydrocarbons are a potential solution to overcome limitations of conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) electrolyzers. We present comprehensive process designs, simulations and a techno-economic evaluation of integrated electrolysis-based systems (from CO2 capture to product separation and stream recycling) for the production of ethylene from carbonates. Using three different scenarios for an ethylene plant with a production capacity of 2 million metric tons per year, a set of key projected performance metrics has been determined. Carbonates for electrolysis sourced from direct air capture and flue gas capture scenarios showed equivalent economics in the optimistic scenario. Concentration of capture carbonates to at least 1.5 M by alkali-stable membranes upstream of the electrolyzer is needed to make the overall process feasible. Electrolyzer sizing, configuration and costing are examined in detail to better account for economies of scale. Emerging improvements in BPM-based processes—primarily in the electrolyzer design and BPM performance—can lead to a minimum selling price that is lower than for conventional CO2 electrolysis and approaching that achieved via naphtha-based processes. Future industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well understood. The authors develop unit operations and full process designs, evaluate the techno-economics at scale, identify key process requirements and barriers, and elucidate the minimum benchmarks needed for the future commercial viability of this technology.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"710-723"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-024-00137-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-01DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00134-1
Qi Dong, Shu Hu, Liangbing Hu
Electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals has received notable interest in recent decades as renewable electricity becomes more available and environmental challenges are increasingly recognized. Representative electrothermal approaches, such as Joule heating, microwaves, induction heating and plasma, have rapidly evolved from operating in millimeter-sized micro-reactors toward modular and even industrial-scale systems. Meanwhile, new chemical engineering concepts, such as dynamic and programmable operation for non-equilibrium chemical reactions using nanosecond- to millisecond-long energy pulsing, spatial and temporal heating by electrifying various reactor components (for example, the reactor walls, catalyst bed or reactant in porous media), and field-enhanced reactions and catalysis, have been discovered to improve synthesis outcomes. Despite the rapid progress of this field, there remain many knowledge gaps and technical hurdles. Here we review the critical engineering advances, analyze the unaddressed challenges and discuss the potential directions for the electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals toward its broader implementation for future chemical manufacturing. Electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals has received notable interest as renewable electricity becomes more available and environmental challenges are increasingly recognized. This Perspective discusses critical engineering advances, unaddressed challenges and potential directions for the electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals toward its broader implementation for future chemical manufacturing.
{"title":"Electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals","authors":"Qi Dong, Shu Hu, Liangbing Hu","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00134-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00134-1","url":null,"abstract":"Electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals has received notable interest in recent decades as renewable electricity becomes more available and environmental challenges are increasingly recognized. Representative electrothermal approaches, such as Joule heating, microwaves, induction heating and plasma, have rapidly evolved from operating in millimeter-sized micro-reactors toward modular and even industrial-scale systems. Meanwhile, new chemical engineering concepts, such as dynamic and programmable operation for non-equilibrium chemical reactions using nanosecond- to millisecond-long energy pulsing, spatial and temporal heating by electrifying various reactor components (for example, the reactor walls, catalyst bed or reactant in porous media), and field-enhanced reactions and catalysis, have been discovered to improve synthesis outcomes. Despite the rapid progress of this field, there remain many knowledge gaps and technical hurdles. Here we review the critical engineering advances, analyze the unaddressed challenges and discuss the potential directions for the electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals toward its broader implementation for future chemical manufacturing. Electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals has received notable interest as renewable electricity becomes more available and environmental challenges are increasingly recognized. This Perspective discusses critical engineering advances, unaddressed challenges and potential directions for the electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals toward its broader implementation for future chemical manufacturing.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"680-690"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plastic films are among the most used materials. In many applications, both high strength and low thickness are required. The thickness of free-standing plastic films has recently been reduced to micrometres, 200 nm and even 60 nm. Pushing this boundary further faces considerable challenges, as processability conflicts with stability at the ‘ultrathin’ scale (below ~100–200 nm). Here, to overcome this trade-off, we modulated the entanglement density of plastic chains to identify a maximum stretching processing window. Then, relaxation was introduced during stretching to kinetically stabilize the ultrathin film. Combined, polyethylene film thicknesses were reduced to ~12 nm, near its critical thickness. This critically thin polyethylene reveals physical properties different from its bulk counterparts, such as high mechanical strength (113.9 GPa (g cm–3)–1), abnormal interfacial properties and a high aspect ratio near 108. Potential applications of these films include nuclear fusion ignition support and thin breathable epidermal sensors. Our work reveals advanced processing strategies, distinctive properties and broader applications of plastic films near the processing limit. A multistep stretch–relaxation process is used to produce critically thin polyethylene films. Several key physical properties of the polyethylene films are presented, and their potential applications in nuclear fusion and epidermal sensing are highlighted.
{"title":"Scalable production of critically thin polyethylene films via multistep stretching","authors":"Runlai Li, Zirui Wang, Weilong Sun, He Zhang, Yuwen Zeng, Xiaoxu Zhao, Wenbing Hu, Hua Deng, Kian Ping Loh, Qiang Fu","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00139-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00139-w","url":null,"abstract":"Plastic films are among the most used materials. In many applications, both high strength and low thickness are required. The thickness of free-standing plastic films has recently been reduced to micrometres, 200 nm and even 60 nm. Pushing this boundary further faces considerable challenges, as processability conflicts with stability at the ‘ultrathin’ scale (below ~100–200 nm). Here, to overcome this trade-off, we modulated the entanglement density of plastic chains to identify a maximum stretching processing window. Then, relaxation was introduced during stretching to kinetically stabilize the ultrathin film. Combined, polyethylene film thicknesses were reduced to ~12 nm, near its critical thickness. This critically thin polyethylene reveals physical properties different from its bulk counterparts, such as high mechanical strength (113.9 GPa (g cm–3)–1), abnormal interfacial properties and a high aspect ratio near 108. Potential applications of these films include nuclear fusion ignition support and thin breathable epidermal sensors. Our work reveals advanced processing strategies, distinctive properties and broader applications of plastic films near the processing limit. A multistep stretch–relaxation process is used to produce critically thin polyethylene films. Several key physical properties of the polyethylene films are presented, and their potential applications in nuclear fusion and epidermal sensing are highlighted.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"702-709"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-25DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00135-0
Wenzheng Heng, Dickson R. Yao, Wei Gao
Miniaturized, flexible lithium-ion droplet batteries offer a promising solution for powering implantable medical devices, providing reliable energy for a wide range of biomedical monitoring and therapeutic applications.
{"title":"Miniaturized soft batteries for biomedical implants","authors":"Wenzheng Heng, Dickson R. Yao, Wei Gao","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00135-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00135-0","url":null,"abstract":"Miniaturized, flexible lithium-ion droplet batteries offer a promising solution for powering implantable medical devices, providing reliable energy for a wide range of biomedical monitoring and therapeutic applications.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 11","pages":"675-677"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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