Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry最新文献

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been proposed to provide solutions for industrially-relevant gas separations due to their exciting structural and porosity attributes. Significant progress has been made in the past decade in the development of tailor-made MOFs for gas separation applications. However, most of the developed MOF sorbents, made from different metal salt and organic linker precursors, cannot be prepared following green chemistry principles. Accordingly, recent research has focused on green synthesis protocols for preparing MOFs for energy and environment applications. This short review delves into the lab-scale development of green MOF sorbents, showcasing their performance in selected gas separation applications. By summarizing key recently reported examples, we illustrate the potential of green MOFs to advance the transition to large/industrial scale synthesis and sustainable gas separation technologies. Our analysis also reveals a critical gap, i.e., the lack of quantitative data showing environmental impact and comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies.

Vegetables and fruits are among the most widely consumed foods in the world. Because of consumption and industrial processing, huge amounts of by-products are generated, causing important environmental and economic problems. However, these wastes present a high content of bioactive compounds making its recovery an excellent opportunity to enhance sustainability and reduce food waste. This review highlights the main bioactive compounds and health benefits of vegetable and fruit by-products and their main applications, toward circular economy, making a critical review for their valorization.

The demand for efficient and sustainable chemical process development has driven significant advancements in automated droplet flow platforms, which, when coupled with high-throughput experimentation, offer powerful solutions for generating synthetic libraries and optimising reaction parameters. Droplet flow platforms allow for reactions to take place on a microfluidic scale, enabling rapid and sustainable process optimisations. The size of the droplet is varied, with the technique of generating the droplet differing from multiple pumps to advanced robotics. Approaches to integrate multiple analytical tools, phase sensors and parallel reactors have been developed, broadening the capabilities and increasing the throughput of these platforms. Herein, we review recent advancements made within this field, highlighting the type of chemical reactions investigated and the digital technologies which have enabled closed-loop optimisations.

In recent years, the alarming surge in resource consumption has heightened global environmental awareness, prompting a critical examination of consumer behavior and production practices. The realization of the potentially catastrophic implications of these patterns on sustainability has led to a growing recognition of impending ecological challenges and the potential for social and economic collapse. Against this backdrop, the scientific community has witnessed significant advancements in the realms of circular economy and bioeconomy, emphasizing the need for holistic business models to underpin a circular bioeconomy. This short communication aims to emphasize the indispensable role of comprehensive business models within the circular (bio)economy, making a valuable contribution to existing literature. By focusing on the combination and profound impact of these models, the communication seeks to guide businesses towards success by aligning with the core principles of the circular economy. Delving into the essential components of a successful business model within the circular bioeconomy, this work offers insights crucial for policymakers, decision-makers, academia, industry professionals, engineers, and other key stakeholders. Through these insights, the communication strives to foster a deeper understanding and encourage the adoption of strategies that promote sustainability and resource efficiency in the dynamic landscape of the contemporary global economy while at the same time providing limitations and barriers to be expected for such implementations.

Direct ammonia fuel cells (DAFCs) have recently appeared as a promising alternative to existing PEM fuel cells due to ammonia's abundance and high hydrogen content, followed by a low carbon footprint. However, realizing its potential for practical applications requires overcoming technological hurdles. These are sluggish kinetics of ammonia oxidation reaction, ammonia crossover, and membrane poisoning. This mini review focuses on recent advancements in DAFC technology, highlighting breakthroughs in new catalysts development and system designs that address these challenges and realization of DAFC commercialization for mobility applications.

The discarded electrical equipment has become the leading waste problem worldwide. The safe and sustainable disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) is challenging because it is composed of both hazardous and non-hazardous substances. Concurrently, geopolymers offer multifaceted benefits and have potential applications, particularly in the realm of building materials. Drawing inspiration from these circumstances, this article delves into the possibility of using non-metallic fractions of e-waste—such as plastic (e-plastic) and glass (e-glass)—as aggregates or/and precursors in geopolymer production. The characteristics of these e-waste components, their suitability for incorporation, and the rationale behind their selection form a focal point of this article. The literature suggests that incorporating less than 50% of e-waste fractions to produce geopolymers exhibits adequate compressive strength to fabricate at least medium-grade construction materials. However, more experimental investigations are required in this domain to explore and optimize the utilization of such composites in various applications in the construction industry.

Ammonia is a promising carbon-neutral, energy-dense fuel to enable long duration storage of renewable energy. This is especially relevant for islanded energy systems that rely entirely on local renewable generation to meet power and heat demands. This paper surveys renewable ammonia production and ammonia-fueled energy generation technologies in terms of recent innovations, economics, and other performance metrics, and their current state of development particularly as it pertains to islanded applications. We then provide insight into recent systems engineering approaches to determining how best to deploy and operate these technologies in islanded renewable ammonia energy systems while also highlighting necessary future research in this area.

Supramolecular chemistry exploits non-covalent intramolecular interactions to form structures such as host-guest complexes and crystalline porous materials. Supramolecular materials have potential for applications in a future sustainable society, such as energy-efficient separation, pollution remediation, or energy storage, but their production frequently relies on unsustainable methods. Flow chemistry is a technique that offers opportunities for ‘greener’ synthesis and that has recently found use in the supramolecular field. This review highlights recent examples to illustrate how flow chemistry can benefit the supramolecular chemist in terms of sustainability, process control, optimisation, and scale, ultimately providing viable routes to applications.

The production of green diesel and jet bio–fuel takes place by hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) through hydrotreatment of natural triglycerides. This demands high pressurized external H₂ related to high cost as well as safety and environmental issues. The utilization of green H₂ released in situ from green solvents or side HDO products is essential for making the process safer, environmentally friendly and economically beneficial. Recent publications dealing with the utilization of this kind of hydrogen in the HDO of fatty biomass as well as the use of aqueous solutions in the HDO of waste cooking and algae oils containing appreciable amounts of water, are reviewed for the first time. Suggestions for future research in the field are formulated through critical comments at the end of the article.

In the ongoing effort to reduce carbon emissions on a worldwide scale, green hydrogen, which is generated through environmentally responsible processes, has emerged as a significant driving force. As the demand for clean energy continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly important to have a solid understanding of the technological and economic elements of modern techniques of producing green hydrogen. In the context of green hydrogen generation understanding green hydrogen production's techno-economic features is necessary to reduce carbon emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy associated with breakthroughs in technology, the present study examines the most fascinating and relevant aspects of techno-economic analysis. Despite challenges, green hydrogen can help the world move to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future with solid analytical frameworks and legislation.