Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry最新文献

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.

CdTe panel is a leader among thin-film technologies for solar panels and, according to some studies, promises the lowest production cost compared with other PV technology currently available in the commercial market. Despite the importance and representativeness of this technology, most published studies focus on crystalline silicon (c-Si) modules. Therefore, this brief review provides a more up-to-date view of CdTe panels, containing waste generation, hazardousness, and several aspects involving recycling. This review also provides information on the supply and demand of metals, especially Tellurium. Some authors cite the supply of Tellurium as a barrier to increasing the production of this photovoltaic panel technology and that its recycling could be a good alternative to meet demand. In this sense, this review also presents some possibilities for recycling processes, including routes that already exist on an industrial scale.

Aqueous redox flow batteries (ARFBs) have emerged as a promising technology for large-scale energy storage, enabling the efficient utilization of intermittent renewable energy sources. Recently, aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) have garnered attention due to the metal-free composition of organic molecules, offering favorable characteristics like earth-abundant elements, electrochemical reversibility, and adaptable molecular design. This review focuses on recent progress in using organic redox-active molecules as anolytes in alkaline AORFBs, specifically anthraquinones and phenazines. Molecular engineering strategies are explored to enhance solubility, increase capacity, and improve stability of the organic redox-active molecules. Moreover, the utilization of solid organic substances with high energy density, either as anode active materials or capacity boosters, is outlined and discussed Overall, this review showcases the versatility and prospects of organic redox-active molecules for AORFBs.

Previous reports shed light on how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) suppliers adopted strategies reminiscent of those employed by the tobacco industry. These tactics minimized the perceived risks posed by their products. This review relies on publicly available court documents to analyze the extent of information shared with end users of PFAS chemicals and how one company utilized this information in its interactions with regulators and the public. Our findings indicate that Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Corp. coordinated messaging, regulatory approaches, and workplace safety strategies with PFAS suppliers. Despite awareness of growing regulatory concern since 2003, the company persisted in releasing hundreds of pounds of PFAS chemicals per year into the air and water across three US states, resulting in substantial legal and public health liabilities for the company. This work aims to provide the groundwork for future changes needed to prevent the recurrence of historical errors.

The development of sustainable, ecofriendly materials to mitigate carbon emissions has become necessary to face the escalating global environmental concerns. In this review, we explored recent advances made between 2022 and 2023 in the domain of utilizing biobased sorbents for CO₂ capture. This includes a comprehensive analysis for the various approaches employed in this research area, shedding light on the performance characteristics and potential challenges associated with these innovative materials. By summarizing the state-of-the-art biobased sorbents, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of their role in addressing CO₂ emissions and fostering a more sustainable approach to carbon capture technologies. Notable field advancements are crucial due to balancing cost and efficiency, emphasizing their pros and cons.

Adsorption is an effective and attractive solution for (waste)water treatment, with the dedicated articles to be around 50,000 in 2023. Development of biomass-derived sorbents is assumed as a modern approach within the frame of circular (bio)economy. This opinion article underscores diverse preparation methods and applications of biomass-derived materials, highlighting the need for standardized protocols to enable comparability and activity evaluation across studies. Additionally, future challenges related to real-life implementation are discussed, such as incomplete material characterization, regeneration, disposal, and the need to move from laboratory-scale to industrial applications. Finally, establishing an international database for adsorption performance under fixed conditions, incorporating environmental and economic factors, is proposed as a crucial step for optimizing and standardizing biomass-derived adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment.

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a rapidly growing problem worldwide due to the increasing consumption of electronic devices and the short lifespan of these products. E-waste recycling and utilization have emerged as potential solutions to this problem, aiming to recover valuable materials and minimize environmental impact. This review article provides an overview of the current e-waste recycling and utilization technologies, including mechanical recycling, pyrolysis and gasification, hydrometallurgical and bio-metallurgical processing, and emerging technologies. The challenges and limitations of e-waste recycling and utilization are also discussed, including technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects. Additionally, we include the case studies and success stories worldwide, highlighting examples of successful e-waste recycling, utilization and lessons learned. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the future perspectives and opportunities of e-waste management are also explained.