Advanced Sustainable Systems最新文献

Among various transition metal sulfides, iron-based sulfides have attracted wide attention due to their abundant resources, low cost, and non-toxicity, showing considerable research value in the field of secondary batteries. Thereinto, Fe₃S₄ has a high theoretical specific capacity of 785 mAh g⁻¹. However, at present, the research related to Fe₃S₄ anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is still in its infancy, and it also suffers from severe volume expansion and limited preparation. Therefore, to further boost its sodium storage potential, the Fe₃S₄@rGO composite with hierarchical structure and carbonaceous network is proposed in this study. Beneficial from the ingenious hierarchitectures and flexible graphene coating, the Fe₃S₄@rGO anode exhibits outstanding sodium storage performance, which can deliver a high capacity of 603 mAh g⁻¹ after 1500 cycles with a superior capacity retention of 98%. The micron flower-like structure composed of 2D nanosheets can provide sufficient active sites and promote the rapid transport of Na⁺. Meanwhile, the 3D interconnected graphene carbon network makes a crucial contribution to alleviating volume changes and enhancing electrical conductivity. This work reveals the application potential of Fe₃S₄ as an anode electrode for SIBs and provides available insights for the development of other electrode materials.

Rapid advancements in portable electronics have created a demand for ultrathin power sources. Microsupercapacitors (MSCs) are becoming a competitive and advantageous option for these applications. It is widely recognized that to develop MSCs with exceptional performance, electrode materials having two-dimensonal (2D) permeable channels, structural scaffolds with high-conductivity and large surface area are suitable. Vanadium ditelluride (VTe₂) stands out as an ideal material platform in this context. Its unique combination of metallic properties and exfoliative characteristics-stemming from the conducting Te–V–Te layers held together by weak van der Waals interlayer interactions- renders it highly promising for high-performance MSCs.  This study is the first to report that the restacking issues and electrochemical performance of VTe₂ can be successfully avoided by the simultaneous incorporation of MXene and CNT to form a ternary hybrid. Here, a laser-induced graphene (LIG)-based MSC utilizing VTe₂/MXene/CNT as the active electrode material is fabricated. This MSC achieve fabrications an outstanding maximum energy density of 6.84 µWh cm⁻² and a power density of 304.7 µW cm⁻². This significant achievement demonstrates the potential of this LIG-based MSC to advance the design of high-performance micro-energy storage devices.

Fog harvesting is a promising path against the global freshwater scarcity. Asymmetric wettability fabric-based fog collection materials inspired by the Namib desert beetle have been reported widely due to their easy access and adjustable structures. Nevertheless, the single drive force for water transportation produced by the asymmetric wettability is insufficient, causing a non-ideal fog harvesting efficiency. Moreover, sustainability challenges persist for fog collection materials, primarily due to their heavy dependence on chemical treatments. Herein, a diatom-inspired Janus fabric (Ly/Csp-3) based on asymmetric wettability and aperture gradient is developed without additional physical or chemical treatment. The wettability gradient and aperture gradient generate dual directional drive forces that regulate the water transport direction more accurately and enhance the transportation rate more effectively. Ly/Csp-3 reaches a one-way transport index of 390.7% and a water collecting rate (WCR) of 1170.5 mg cm⁻² h⁻¹, while exhibiting the capability of anti-acid rain and the resistance to sunlight. This work provides an efficient and programmable biomimetic design proposal for fibrous fog harvesting devices.

The growing accumulation of textile waste poses significant environmental challenges, as only a small percentage of materials is currently recycled. However, cotton waste offers a valuable feedstock for the regeneration of cellulose and nanocellulose (NC). This study presents a sustainable and efficient method for producing NC from textile waste using both binary and ternary natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). By treating cotton wool, pre-consumer standard cotton fabrics, and post-consumer denim textiles, with NADESs, NC generation is achieved in high yields (up to ≈90%) in all cases. The most promising NADESs, composed of choline chloride and gallic acid (and tartaric acid), effectively dissolve cotton-based materials when subjected to heating and sonication, producing cellulose nanocrystals with length ranging from 100 to 300 nm and crystallinity level up to ≈80%. The NADESs are characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), as well as modeled by density functional theory (DFT), to investigate their hydrogen bond network. Eventually, their recyclability is also investigated. This approach opens promising applications in the fields of sustainable nanomaterial production and textile recycling, providing a greener alternative for waste valorization and promoting circular economy practices.

Ciprofloxacin Photodegradation

In article number 2400375, Alberto Vomiero, Elisa Moretti, and co-workers synthesize cerium containing-titania nano-octahedra from commercial titania which are tested as photocatalysts for the removal of ciprofloxacin, in aqueous solution under simulated solar light. The optimized Ce concentration leads to an 83% degradation of ciprofloxacin after 360 min under simulated solar light, demonstrating the effectiveness of the new photocatalyst.

Biodegradable materials represent a promising path toward green and sustainable electronics on a global scale in the future. Plastics play a pivotal role in contemporary electronics, including printed circuit boards (PCB), where petroleum-based polymers such as epoxies form the base insulating substrate. In this review paper, several promising bio-based alternatives to conventional PCB materials that are recently developed and investigated are stated and discussed regarding their properties, practical utilization, and further perspective. The given list includes polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and others, with the development of PLA-based PCB substrates being the furthest along regarding the use in industry practice. Yet, all of the provided solutions are still only suitable for prototypes or low-cost electronics without high-reliability requirements. The reason for this is inferior mechanical and thermal properties of biopolymers compared to traditional petroleum-based polymers. Further development is therefore essential, including new types of reinforcements and other additives. However, as Life Cycle Assessment analyses discussed in the paper show, biopolymers are capable of significantly reducing the environmental impact and are likely to play a major role in shaping a sustainable path for the electronics industry, which will be a key challenge in the current decade.

Nickel Nanoparticle Synthesis

Early-stage cost evaluation during catalyst development holds the potential to accelerate the commercialization and deployment of advanced catalytic materials for sustainable chemical processes. In article number 2300030, Frederick G. Baddour, Brittney E. Petel, and Kurt M. Van Allsburg, utilize CatCost, a free and publicly available estimation tool for the evaluation of catalyst manufacturing costs, to perform a cost-responsive optimization of the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles.

Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂), a 2D layered transition metal dichalcogenide, has garnered significant scientific research interest for its catalytic and electrocatalytic activities. Here, a straightforward hydrothermal procedure is used to synthesize MoSe₂ nanosheets (NSs) and focus on their adsorption capabilities and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. The MoSe₂ NSs which are synthesized by 12 h of hydrothermal treatment found to exhibit the highest adsorption capacity of 91.67 mg g⁻¹. The kinetics of the adsorption process have been found to follow the pseudo-second-order model, signifying chemisorption and multilayer adsorption as described by the Freundlich isotherm. The thermodynamic analysis further suggests that the adsorption proceeds by endothermic and spontaneous mechanisms. The self-cleaning property of the adsorbent is demonstrated by degrading the dye on the adsorbent-coated cotton fabric. The sample created using a 12 h hydrothermal method has been shown to have a minimal Tafel slope of 58 mV dec⁻¹. It also shows excellent HER activity at low over-potential and possesses long-term durability. The dual functionality of MoSe₂ NSs in both adsorption and electrocatalytic activity highlights their potential for application in environmental remediation and renewable energy production.

In the search for clean energy technologies, it is crucial to develop low-cost batteries with enhanced performance, and 2D materials are promising for electrode applications owing to their high surface area where fast ionic diffusion can occur. In this work, density functional theory calculations that demonstrate the great potential of recently synthesized 2D pyrite as a battery electrode are reported. An extensive analysis of its performance toward Li-ion batteries and post-lithium technologies (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Zn, Al), as well as how point defects can be leveraged to engineer its electronic properties are reported. First, the results explain that the main drawback of the unmodified material, namely its voltammetric peaks at high voltages, is due to the overly strong adsorption of lithium ions. Second, it is demonstrated that hydrogenation of the material leads to milder open-circuit voltages without compromising the capacity of the anode, and lowers the diffusion barrier to only 0.06eV for both Li and K ions. With a capacity as high as 1317 mAh g⁻¹ for Al-ion, hydrogenated monolayer pyrite is demonstrated to be a promising material for energy storage applications.