Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry最新文献

This perspective analyses last year's trends in green synthesis and sustainable processing routes from the viewpoint of the leading emerging industrial directions and needs. After briefly introducing the future scenario, the aspects discussed regard carbon neutrality and defossilization of the chemical industry, electrification of the processes and introduction of low-carbon H₂ routes. Some elements of artificial leaf and solar-to-X technologies, as well as e-chemistry, are also discussed. Trends, opportunities, and personal concerns regarding some directions are presented. The aim is to give clues to analyse this complex topic rather than offer a state-of-the-art and in-depth discussion of the presented examples.

Water, a fundamental resource for life, faces an increasing threat from heavy-metal pollution driven by population growth, industrialization, and shifting consumption patterns. This review addresses the rising threat of heavy-metal contamination in water resources by examining its causes and awful consequences. By evaluating innovative mitigation strategies the study emphasizes a key role of plant–microbe interactions, nanotechnology-based remediation, and environmental biotechnological approaches such as including real-time monitoring and microbial fuel cells. Insights provided contribute to a universal understanding that is used to pave the way for sustainable solutions to combat heavy-metal pollution and safeguard global water ecosystems.

The combination of plasma with catalysis for the synthesis and decomposition of NH₃ is an attractive route to the production of carbon-neutral fertiliser and energy carriers and its conversion into H₂. Recent years have seen fast developments in the field of plasma-catalytic NH₃ life cycle. This work summarises the most recent advances in plasma-catalytic and related NH₃-focussed processes, identifies some of the most important discoveries, and addresses plausible strategies for future developments in plasma-based NH₃ technology.

With the escalation of global climate change, reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality have gradually become significant concerns. Conversion of CO₂ into valuable products is regarded as a viable solution to address these challenges. In comparison to other catalytic approaches, non-thermal plasma (NTP) offers diverse reaction pathways for CO₂ conversion under mild process conditions and can ensure selective production of value-added chemicals and fuels when combined with catalytic materials. However, further research is needed to translate plasma-based technologies to the industrial scale. This article focuses on three crucial characteristics of CO₂ conversion in NTP: energy efficiency, conversion rate, and selectivity. We overview recent research advances, outline challenges for technological innovations, and propose potential directions for future research.

Most studies nowadays focus on the recovery of precious metals in cathode from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), neglecting the recycling of electrolyte and organic matters. The electrolyte and organic matters from spent LIBs can be converted into resources through component separation and regeneration, which brings certain economic benefits. In this review, the domestic and foreign pretreatment technologies of electrolyte from spent LIBs, such as high-temperature pyrolysis, solvent extraction, and supercritical CO₂ extraction, are summarized, and the advantages and disadvantages of different pretreatment technologies are compared. In addition, the research progress of high-value utilization of electrolytes, separators, and binders are reviewed, and the development directions of the recycling process of electrolyte and organic matters are prospected.

The increasing emission of electronic waste (e-waste) accelerates the depletion of natural metal resources and raises growing concerns for human health and environmental sustainability. Herein, the valuable metal recovery driven by the development of a circular economy has increasingly become a focal point in research. Recovering metals from e-waste can rationally allocate resources and significantly alleviate environmental issues; however, it remains challenging. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) provide an ideal alternative for these separation and recovery processes due to their green properties. This article reviews recent advances in the recovery of metals from e-waste using DESs, encompassing spent battery materials, printed circuit boards, lamp phosphor waste, and end-of-life permanent magnets. Recovery approaches involving redox/coordination leaching, solvent extraction, precipitation, and electrodeposition are discussed within the framework of DESs' unique solvent characteristics, eco-design principles, and technology features. Finally, challenges facing this emerging recovery technology are outlined while future prospects are also envisioned.

The significant increase of carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration in the atmosphere is anticipated to contribute to global warming and climate instability. Reducing CO₂ emissions has been set as the goal of numerous recent international initiatives. CO₂ conversion into high-value products, including fuels, fuel chemicals, and building materials, has attracted great attention as it can provide a sustainable and long-term solution to the CO₂ problem. Thermochemical conversion processes have been demonstrated as one of the fastest-growing CO₂ utilization technologies, as evidenced by a remarkable increase in the number of research publications from 9375 to 15,750 per year within four years (2020–2023). This review article provides an analysis of thermochemical CO₂ transformation technologies based on their final products in terms of advantages/disadvantages, technology readiness level (TRL), market price, global market size, and publication statistics. In addition, the review evaluates potential technical barriers and offers insightful perspectives, challenges, and recommendations for fostering the growth of the industry. The primary challenges impeding the growth of the market for certain products, such as formic acid, dimethyl ether, syngas, and formaldehyde, are mainly associated with the high costs of the technologies involved, which must be lower than those of traditional products to compete in the current market.

Reactive intermediates are transient, high-energy species that play a pivotal role in the synthesis of organic molecules. Continuous flow processing is frequently exploited in generating a plethora of reactive intermediates in situ, followed by their rapid transformation into target molecules. Reactor miniaturization along with high heat and mass transfer rates, are key features that are exploited in these flow processes that provide for additional benefits such as safety and scalability. This short review highlights recent advances in the field of flow chemistry for the generation and use of reactive intermediates by photochemical reactions, low-temperature sequences, and related transformations.

Proposals for sustainable use of meat industry waste and by-products have seen remarkable growth in the past decade. This study aims to shed light on the often-overlooked realm of meat by-products, positioning them as an invaluable source of bioactive peptides and functional ingredients. It emphasized in the first part the main strategies for the valorization of meat industry by-products into diverse bioactive peptides, and then it introduced in the second part the diverse and current methods of identification and characterization of bioactive peptides and protein hydrolysates. While the promise of these macromolecules is immense, the study focuses and takes an in-depth look in the third part at the regulatory and safety barriers hindering their efficient valorization. By addressing regulatory and safety concerns, this review aims to pave the way for a more sustainable and responsible utilization of meat by-products, ensuring not only the economic viability of the meat sector but also fostering a holistic and safe approach towards enhanced food and animal production sustainability.

In recent years, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in electric vehicles have significantly increased concerns over potential environmental threats. Besides reducing environmental pollution, recycling valuable materials is crucial for resource utilization. This study summarized the latest LFP recovery technologies, including pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, bioleaching, and direct regeneration. The topics covered are the structure of LFPs, the recovery routes using various leaching agents, and the evaluation of effective separation procedures and their progress. We also discuss future challenges and opportunities associated with recycling LFP cathodes. This review will aid in gaining a better understanding of the development of sustainable methods for recycling Li-ion batteries.