RSC sustainability最新文献

In recent years, the imperative to minimise carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions has become a central concern for both government and business organisations. To address this challenge, process integration tools such as pinch analysis have been widely applied for carbon management. However, existing tools do not consider CO₂ emissions, operating costs, and capital costs alongside optimal scheduling for decarbonisation strategies. To address this gap, this paper aims to present a methodology for screening cost-effective decarbonisation strategies and planning these strategies to achieve net-zero emissions in chemical process plants. The effectiveness of the methodology is demonstrated through two case studies on refinery and methanol processes. In the refinery case study, the average carbon intensity was 18.81 t CO₂ per k USD of operating cost, with a total CO₂ emission of 3722.97 t CO₂. Three main CO₂ emissions reduction strategies were deployed to achieve a 32% reduction in CO₂ emissions which include biomass combined heat and power, hydrogen recycling, and water electrolysis. In the methanol case study, the average carbon intensity was 0.72 t CO₂ per k USD, with a total CO₂ emission of 19 678 t CO₂ per day. To achieve a 49% reduction in emissions, strategies such as heat integration, compressor ratio adjustments, and recycle ratio adjustments were employed. The scheduling of these decarbonisation strategies was conducted to evaluate the respective economic feasibility of the payback period and loan required. The results indicate that implementing all strategies simultaneously results in the shortest payback period but incurs a high investment cost, leading to high financial risk. In order to lower the financial risk, the strategies are scheduled one by one by dispersing the investment costs.

Efficient syntheses of tripeptides containing β-amino acids and their settlement inhibition activities toward two main foulants, the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite and the blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, are described. The tripeptide design was inspired by a tripeptide fragment of dolastatin 16, a depsipeptide isolated from the sea hare Dolabella auricularia. Tripeptide with only α-amino acids did not exhibit settlement inhibition, while β-amino acid-containing tripeptides and dipeptides effectively prevented settlement. Made from inexpensive amino acids, these peptides are promising candidates for cost-effective and eco-friendly antifouling additives.

A graphical abstract is available for this content

An operationally simple approach has been developed for synthesizing diversely functionalized succinimides under transition-metal and oxidant-free conditions in PEG-400. The developed strategy is promoted by visible light and proceeds via radical cascade iodo-sulfonylation of aza-1,6-enynes in an atom atom-economical manner with excellent stereoselectivity. Control experiments well support the proposed pathway for the reaction. The reaction's expedient features include operational simplicity, eco-friendly solvent, atom economy, and functional group tolerance with a broad substrate scope.

This paper reviews the research on the conversion of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics through catalysis. The traditional catalytic technology employs iron powder as a catalyst, which tends to generate a large amount of solid waste and water pollutants, making it the focus of research for improvement. The current research status of the catalytic reduction of nitroaromatic reactions is introduced, highlighting the main catalytic mechanism currently employed and the work conducted by our group in furthering this research. The current status and limitations of the catalytic reduction of nitroaromatic reactions are discussed. Additionally, the possibility of modulating the reaction pathway and the future development of the reaction are explored.

Morphologically tuned one-dimensional (1D) nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) nanorod (NFNR) was synthesized through co-precipitation and hydrothermal methods. The NFNR was combined with two-dimensional (2D) reduced graphene oxide (rGO) derived from battery waste and designated as NFNR/rGO. The 1D–2D nanohybrid was used as a UV-light-harvesting photocatalyst for the degradation of berberine hydrochloride (BH), a hazardous water contaminant. Using NFNR/rGO, 97.61% of BH was degraded in 60 min upon exposure to UV light along with 83.87% of mineralization following the first-order kinetics. The present analysis showed that NFNR/rGO exhibited 4.8 times higher photocatalytic activity than the bare NFNR owing to increased surface area, reduced indirect band gap, more active sites and low charge recombination rate. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of BH was investigated and examined with the help of trapping experiments and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The experimental evidences demonstrated that OH˙ (hydroxyl) and O₂⁻˙ (superoxide) radicals played dominant roles in the photodegradation procedure. The various probable intermediates involved during the reaction were investigated through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). The magnetically separable catalyst was reused and assessed for five consecutive cycles. The photocatalyst delivered strong activity towards the photodegradation of BH during recycling. The photodegradation process of BH was also studied using three other catalysts having variable molar ratios of Ni to Fe, and it was found that NFNR/rGO with Ni : Fe = 1 : 2 exhibited a superior activity.

In the present work, Brønsted acidic ionic liquid 2-methyl-N,N-disulfoimidazolium chloride [Mdsim]Cl impregnated chitosan composites were prepared by mixing chitosan with [Mdsim]Cl in different ratios. The prepared composites were characterized by FT-IR, PXRD, SEM and TGA techniques. The adsorption behaviour of the prepared composites was efficiently investigated for the removal of methylene blue (MB), as a cationic model dye compound from aqueous solution. Various concentrations of aqueous MB dye solutions were used to study the adsorption nature of composites through UV studies. The adsorption kinetics of MB was well described using a pseudo-second-order model and intra-particle diffusion model. The adsorption also followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and the maximum adsorption capacity was 2.3 mg g⁻¹ among the prepared composites. The adsorption capacity of the composite was also compared with three other dyes, namely methyl orange, crystal violet and methyl green.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria demand that enterprises should not be assessed solely on their financial performance, but also on their environmental, social, and governance performance. This numerical assessment of ESG criteria enables them to be evaluated with the consideration of other financial issues of enterprises' performance and thereby guides financial investments into environmentally and socially responsible firms. ESG, however, solidifies the continuance of conventional technologies but can potentially disadvantage emerging technologies. This study is the first to forecast the ESG potential of emerging chemical technologies. The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) rating system is applied to one of the top 3 global chemical processes. Ammonia (NH₃) is produced via the Haber-Bosch (HB) process, which needs a huge fossil fuel input and high energy consumption, leading to a significant contribution to carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. In contrast, the ESG assessment rates emerging plasma technology and its spearhead companies that lead innovation and development in this field, which provide the benefits of being a clean, sustainable alternative for green NH₃ production. Five different plasma-technology companies are considered, with the technology readiness level (TRL) ranging from 3 to 9. These are compared to five different conventional HB companies. We examine the final ESG result of the plasma technology companies, exploring their environmental advances and social viability. In this study, five different themes were selected, including eleven issues, to measure the plasma-technology company's management related to ESG risks and opportunities.

Materials based on graphitic carbon are used for environmental remediation, due to their high surface area and their capacity to adsorb pollutants in liquid environments. Carbonaceous materials derived from residues are particularly interesting, as their synthesis has a smaller impact on the environment. In the present work, we report a preliminary study on the preparation of graphitic carbon made from cork waste powder modified with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). This is the first time such composites were prepared using pyrolysed/carbonised cork, from a powder residue of cork stopper production. This makes the process sustainable and in line with the circular economy. The composites were prepared by vacuum infiltration of the MNPs on pyrolysed cork powder, with a successive thermal treatment, resulting in a carbon material that retained the porous microstructure of the original cork, ideal for the absorption of pollutants or separation of oils and water, while also being magnetically separable afterwards. It was seen that post-infiltration heating was better in air than under nitrogen, with the nitrogen atmosphere and presence of highly porous carbon possibly partially reducing magnetite to FeO, with a reduction in magnetic properties. MNPs with different chemical compositions were tested – zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄) and magnetite (Fe₃O₄) – with the magnetite composites showing the highest magnetisation. Moreover, magnetite particles of different dimensions were considered: 6, 9 and 15 nm; results indicated that the 9 nm magnetite NPs were the most easily infiltrated; the magnetisation, however, was higher for the composites with the 15 nm magnetite NPs (about 9 emu g⁻¹), despite the oxide component comprising only around 12 wt% of the composite, due to their greater initial magnetisation. This value is higher than those of similar composites prepared using carbon from other natural sources. SEM analysis showed the presence of MNPs on the surface of the material, with the particles being on the nanometric scale and showing no aggregation on the micron scale. Composites prepared with these 15 nm MNPs also showed greater stability in both water and an organic solvent (chloroform) and were demonstrated to be magnetically separable from suspensions, making them the most suitable for environmental remediation applications.

Plastic is a threat to the environment since it does not biodegrade, but it also has the potential to become a substantial resource to produce alternative energy sources, creating a multibillion-dollar untapped market. Every year, millions of tons of plastic are produced, resulting in a significant rise in plastic waste, which causes ecological and environmental problems. According to estimates, only around 10% of this waste plastic is now recycled. Plastic waste may be handled in two ways: recycling or converting it into energy. The first alternative, recycling, has several challenges, including the need for labor-intensive processes and concerns about water pollution, which may threaten its long-term sustainability. As a result, the second technique for turning waste plastic into energy has been developed, enhanced, and extensively researched. Pyrolysis is a technique that involves heating plastics at temperatures ranging from 455–700 °C without oxygen. This process yields high-calorific fuel that can be utilized as an alternative fuel. This study explores the thermal and catalytic cracking processes involved in waste plastic pyrolysis, focusing on crucial factors such as temperature, time, feedstock, reactor type, and catalyst that impact results such as oil production, gases, and heat. Furthermore, the study investigates the properties of the liquid oil produced and offers suggestions for enhancing the liquid fuel yield for each kind of plastic.