{"title":"Thermoresponsive self-blocking electrolytes and separators for intrinsically safe lithium batteries","authors":"Minghui Song, Jianlin Man, Yalan Zhang, Shijie Zhang, Duo Wang, Zhixiang Yuan, Yitong Song, Yanyu Wang, Jianjun Zhang, Guanglei Cui, Liquan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermal runaway remains the foremost safety challenge in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), spurring intensive research into its root causes and the development of intrinsic fail-safe mitigation strategies. Among the emerging strategies, thermoresponsive self-blocking electrolytes and separators represent a promising class of engineered materials whose ionic conductivity or porous microstructure undergoes rapid modulation in response to thermal excursions. By autonomously suppressing ion transport at elevated temperatures, these smart components can effectively interrupt electrochemical reactions before thermal propagation leads to catastrophic failure, thereby enabling intrinsically safe battery operation. This review critically examines the latest progress in such thermoresponsive self-blocking electrolytes and separators, emphasizing the molecular and structural design principles, underlying thermal-response mechanisms (<em>e.g.</em>, phase transitions, pore collapse, and sol-gel switching), and their electrochemical performance in lithium battery configurations. Although these innovations have significantly advanced the field of battery safety, challenges persist in balancing a rapid thermal response with long-term interfacial stability and ionic conductivity. We outline key hurdles and propose future directions for developing multi-functional, intelligent architectures that concurrently enhance the safety and electrochemical performance, paving the way for the reliable deployment of high-energy-density batteries in electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid-scale storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 324-344"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Green CarbonPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-08-25DOI: 10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.003
Michael Graetzel, Jing Gao, Likai Zheng
{"title":"Perovskite-driven artificial photosynthesis: A perspective","authors":"Michael Graetzel, Jing Gao, Likai Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent trends have shown that artificial photosynthesis is moving from proof-of-concept demonstrations to integrated solar-to-chemical systems. This places new demand on photovoltaic absorbers, catalysts, and reactors to operate as coupled energy conversion platforms. Metal halide perovskites play a distinctive role in this transition because of their high efficiency, bandgap tunability, and low-temperature processability, allowing the photovoltaic output to be tailored across single-junction, tandem, and multijunction architectures. This perspective examines recent advances in perovskite photovoltaics through the lens of system-level requirements for solar fuel production. Single-junction modules are considered scalable photovoltaic drivers for modular photovoltaic-electrochemical systems. In contrast, tandem and multijunction devices are discussed as voltage-engineered platforms for water splitting and CO<sub>2</sub> reduction. We further compare representative artificial photosynthesis configurations, highlighting how interfacial stability, current-voltage matching, encapsulation, catalyst selectivity, and reactor design collectively determine solar-to-fuel conversion performance. By examining these advances from a system-level perspective, we aim to identify the key design principles and research priorities needed to translate perovskite photovoltaics into efficient, stable, and scalable solar-to-chemical platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 387-393"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biotechnology for plastic production, degradation, and upcycling","authors":"Chunjun Zhan, Zhe Zhang, Guozhao Li, Qun Zhao, Xiulai Chen, Anping Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plastics are essential to modern life, but their predominantly linear use, low recycling rates, and slow breakdown generate persistent pollution. Bio-based production and biodegradation are promising; however, achieving true plastic circularity requires a unified approach that links feedstock choice, polymer structure, material performance, end-of-life processing, and carbon recovery. In this review, we examine biotechnologies for plastic production, degradation, and upcycling across the plastic life cycle. We focus on microbial production of bio-based polymers and monomer platforms, abiotic and biological mechanisms of plastic degradation, and hybrid abiotic–biotic routes that convert plastic waste into recoverable carbon streams. We emphasize polymer chemistry, enzymatic depolymerization, microbial assimilation, chemical pretreatment, and the evidence needed to substantiate degradation claims. We show that ester-containing polymers, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), and polycaprolactone (PCL), are generally more accessible to hydrolysis and enzymatic attack than C–C backbone polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). Real waste streams, however, remain challenging because additives, crystallinity, product geometry, aging history, and environmental conditions often limit depolymerization. We argue that future progress will depend on controlled depolymerization and carbon retention, rather than passive biodegradation alone. Abiotic processes can open otherwise stable polymer structures, enzymes can add selectivity, and microbial metabolism can funnel mixed intermediates into monomers, bioplastics, and high-value chemicals. Finally, we propose an evidence framework and design principles to guide plastic circularity by linking production, material function, and end-of-life carbon recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 299-313"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Green CarbonPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-07-16DOI: 10.1016/j.greenca.2026.07.002
Rulin Yang, Guangqiang Xu, Yong Tang
{"title":"Chemical recycling enables resource utilization of waste fishing nets","authors":"Rulin Yang, Guangqiang Xu, Yong Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Marine plastic pollution is an important issue in global ecological governance. Waste fishing nets are one of the main sources of marine plastic pollution and pose multiple threats to marine ecosystems owing to their poor degradability. In recent years, initial results have been achieved in the recovery of waste fishing nets; however, there are significant problems with the end-of-life disposal process. Current mainstream mechanical recycling methods can only achieve downcycling and cannot fundamentally solve the resource utilization dilemma of waste fishing nets from marine fisheries. This perspective proposes that the optimal path for the high-value and closed-loop resource utilization of waste fishing nets is to first separate mixed plastics through pretreatment and sorting, and then implement directional chemical recycling for single materials such as polyamide 6 (PA6), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP). This method provides a solution for developing a circular marine economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 321-323"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Green CarbonPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-07-07DOI: 10.1016/j.greenca.2026.06.002
Rolf D. Schmid
{"title":"Let us establish a Green Carbon Index","authors":"Rolf D. Schmid","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We propose defining a Green Carbon Index (GCI) to measure the proportion of non-fossil carbon in chemical products. A GCI 0 would describe a compound with 100% fossil carbon atoms, while a GCI 100 would denote a compound with no fossil carbonatoms at all. The proportion of fossil carbon could be determined using carbon isotope analysis, mass balance, or a combination of both methods. Once a scientifically sound methodology is established, the GCI, similar to the Nature Index, could be ranked annually by the journal <em>Green Carbon</em> and lead to the awarding of a Green Carbon Label. This would incentivize current efforts to reduce fossil carbon consumption in the chemical industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 259-261"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149033237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Green CarbonPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-06-16DOI: 10.1016/j.greenca.2026.05.003
Mingyuan He
{"title":"Carbon greening: Constructing a new energy system in harmony with the eco-environment","authors":"Mingyuan He","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon, with its unique valence state ranging from −4 to +4 and its diverse bonding capabilities, is the fundamental building block of both matter and life. The inherent stability of carbon–carbon bonds makes carbon indispensable. It is essential to recognize the significance of carbon from various perspectives including matter, life, energy, and the environment. The concept of green carbon science highlights the importance of carbon balance and circulation. Hence, reconstructing the energy system requires prioritizing carbon greening and transitioning from “hydrocarbon processing” to “hydrocarbon synthesis and processing”. It is crucial to maintain limited use of fossil carbon resources while expanding the conversion of diverse energy resources, including green hydrogen, green carbon (biomass), and circular carbon (CO<sub>2</sub>, waste plastics, and waste materials).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 256-258"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149033261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Green CarbonPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-06-03DOI: 10.1016/j.greenca.2026.04.001
Uwe T. Bornscheuer
{"title":"Biocatalytic recycling of hydrolyzable plastics for a circular bioeconomy","authors":"Uwe T. Bornscheuer","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.04.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Currently, only a low fraction of petrol-based synthetic polymers is recycled with mechanical and chemical methods being dominant. The discovery and tailor-design of highly efficient enzymes now provides the opportunity for the recycling of hydrolyzable plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but also of polyurethanes. Notably, according to a life cycle and techno-economic analysis performed for PET, these biocatalytic approaches are much less energy intensive and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to chemical recycling. Both polymer types together represent ∼12% (> 50 million metric tons) of the total annual plastic production and hence their bio-based recycling would enormously reduce the use of fossil-based resources and hence the dependency on petrol. Such a technology shift not only contributes to closing material cycles, but addresses at the same time climate neutrality, environmental protection, and societal acceptance towards greener and safer plastic utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 314-316"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Green CarbonPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-08-25DOI: 10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.008
Wen Ling
{"title":"AC/DC dual-mode household appliances for community microgrids","authors":"Wen Ling","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.08.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Distributed photovoltaics (PVs), residential storage, and low-carbon buildings increasingly expose household appliances to coexisting alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) supplies. Most products require either AC or DC, requiring conversion if there is a mismatch with the supply. This review defines integrated AC/DC dual-mode appliances through four system-level functions: input identification, reconfigurable internal power paths, communication and coordination with an energy management system (EMS), and flexible participation in microgrid scheduling. The review distinguishes between these appliances, conventional AC products, externally adapted DC devices, and dedicated DC appliances. It also summarizes the enabling topologies and controls, and provides a theoretical global warming impact estimation and boundary analysis. Under the stated conversion chain assumptions, the estimated carbon footprint efficiency improvement is 4%–9%, corresponding to 29–81 kgCO<sub>2</sub>e/MWh under the adopted carbon factor. This framework clarifies the potential contribution of dual-mode appliances to PV storage-DC-flexibility systems and the conditions that limit their deployment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 363-367"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"LATCH: a linear autocatalytic cycle tailored for carbon harvesting","authors":"Xue Yang, Yuyue Ma, Junjun Yan, Guoping Zhao, Yanfei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2025.10.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2025.10.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autotrophic carbon assimilation supplies the organic carbon that forms the foundation for sustaining life on Earth. Enhancing the efficiency of the Calvin cycle or developing alternative pathways is therefore crucial. In this study, we introduce LATCH, a novel artificial carbon fixation pathway that integrates native and synthetic carboxylation modules. Kinetic modeling and thermodynamic analysis reveal that LATCH features a linear autocatalytic cycle architecture and is free from thermodynamic barriers. Consequently, LATCH represents a conceptually novel, kinetically and thermodynamically robust carbon fixation route that enriches the growing toolkit of synthetic autotrophy and aligns with sustainable bioproduction goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 293-298"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Green CarbonPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-07-26DOI: 10.1016/j.greenca.2026.06.005
Kuo Liu, Tao Zhang
{"title":"Single-atom catalysis for plastic upcycling to high-value compounds","authors":"Kuo Liu, Tao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.greenca.2026.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plastic waste has caused severe environmental pollution. Plastic upcycling through heterogeneous catalysis has emerged as a promising approach for producing high-value compounds. This perspective summarizes recent advances in single-atom catalysts (SACs) for the upcycling of various plastics, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The advantages of SACs over conventional nanoparticle (NP) catalysts, their unique properties, and the origins of their high selectivity toward target products are discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges and future perspectives for the development of SACs for plastic upcycling, involving upcycling of mixed plastic waste, generation of high-value products, catalyst design driven by artificial intelligence and industrial application, are outlined to guide future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100595,"journal":{"name":"Green Carbon","volume":"4 3","pages":"Pages 317-320"},"PeriodicalIF":14.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149028882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}