{"title":"Directional Depolymerization of Nylon 6 to Caprolactam Monomer With Ionic Liquids as Solvent and Catalyst","authors":"Mingjia Yu, Rulin Yang, Guangqian Zhu, Yalin Liu, Qingfu Wang, Guangqiang Xu, Qinggang Wang","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71051","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cssc.71051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nylon 6 (polyamide 6, PA6) is an important high-performance polymer, which is widely used in various industrial and daily-life fields. Notably, it serves as the predominant material for fishing nets, and discarded fishing nets have become a major source of marine plastic pollution, making the resource recovery of waste PA6 extremely significant. Chemical recycling to monomers is the optimal route for closed-loop recycling of PA6. However, factors such as the high melting point and stability of amide bonds in PA6 make its depolymerization challenging. In this work, a series of functionalized ionic liquids were prepared and employed as both solvents and catalysts for the depolymerization of PA6. The ionic liquids reduce reaction system viscosity to improve mass and heat transfer and efficiently activate the amide bonds of PA6. Therefore, directional depolymerization of PA6 toward caprolactam (CPL) monomers was achieved, with high depolymerization conversion and selectivity. Furthermore, the ionic liquid exhibited excellent applicability to practical waste PA6 such as fishing nets and good reusability. This study provides a green approach for the closed-loop recycling of waste PA6.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148928522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interface Engineering of CoS2/Co(OH)F Heterostructures for In Situ Co4+ Formation and Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction","authors":"Yuying Meng, Bao Zhong, Dahai Zeng, Cheng Zeng, Bing Du, Wenbiao Zhang, Peng Zhang, Liangliang Feng, Yongzhe Wang, Sangaraju Shanmugam, Qingsheng Gao","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71057","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cssc.71057","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The directional reconstruction into high-valent active species is critical for enhancing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics and, consequently, the overall efficiency of water electrolysis for green hydrogen production. Here, we introduce the interfacial engineering of Co(OH)F nanosheets anchoring with CoS<sub>2</sub> particles (CoS<sub>2</sub>/Co(OH)F) to promote the in situ formation of Co<sup>4+</sup> species, achieving high OER performance. Remarkably, the optimized CoS<sub>2</sub>/Co(OH)F-2.5 catalyst demonstrates a low overpotential of 318 mV at 100 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> with a small Tafel slope of 73.4 mV dec<sup>−1</sup> in 1.0 M KOH, outperforming commercial RuO<sub>2</sub> and most reported Co-based electrocatalysts. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that the heterointerface between lattice-distorted CoS<sub>2</sub> and Co(OH)F, along with their optimal synergistic effect, promotes dynamic reconstruction into high-valent Co<sup>4+</sup> active species. These species favor the lattice oxygen oxidation mechanism, thereby significantly enhancing OER kinetics. Moreover, the optimized catalyst achieves low cell voltages of 1.77 and 1.93 V at industrial current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> (80 °C) in an anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolyzer, with good stability exceeding 140 h. This work offers a viable strategy for developing noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for efficient water electrolysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148928566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bifunctional Hydrophobic Conductive Interface Enabling Scalable and Highly Stable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries","authors":"Zhuoran Liu, Ziqiang Yang, Wanyu Li, Jing Zhang, Xueqian Zhang, Bin Yang, Zhiguo Hou","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.71045","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems, owing to the intrinsic-safety aqueous electrolyte and high-energy-density electrode materials. However, their electrochemical performance is limited by two critical interface issues: vulnerability to electrolyte corrosion and insufficient active material adhesion. Here, we develop a bifunctional hydrophobic conductive interface, which effectively mitigates electrode detachment and corrosion. The as-assembled MnO<sub>2</sub>//Zn batteries retain a high specific capacity of 141.6 mAh g<sup>−1</sup> after 1500 cycles at 1.0 C. The prototype pouch cell with a high energy density of 100 Wh kg<sup>−1</sup> delivers a long cycle life of 1000 cycles. This advancement not only enhances the electrochemical performance of ZIBs but also paves the way for safe, cost-efficient, and high-performance energy storage solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148909831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electronic Modulation of NiO by Cu Doping Toward Enhanced Electrocatalytic Ethylene Glycol Oxidation to Formate","authors":"Huiyan Pan, Jiaming Ding, Yongshuai Lu, Zhao Zhang, Xueguo Liu, Yi Ma, Jing Yu, Liang Xu, Jialing Tang, Yongfa Zhu, Junshan Li","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.71043","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Electrocatalytic upgrading of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into value-added chemicals not only alleviates environmental pressure but also offers significant economic benefits. In this work, Cu was successfully incorporated into NiO structure with varying contents and applied to the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR). Among all the synthesized samples, the electrode based on the optimized 4Cu–NiO sample exhibited significantly enhanced electrochemical performance, delivering a high current density of 113.4 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> at 1.6 V versus RHE in 1 M KOH with 1 M EG, along with faster reaction kinetics compared to the conventional oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Moreover, even after a 35 h long-term stability test, this optimal electrode retained 74.3 mA cm<sup>−2</sup>, while delivering formate as the dominant product with a Faradaic efficiency of 91.6% and a selectivity of 89.1%, underscoring its high efficiency for the conversion of ethylene glycol into value-added chemicals. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations reveal that Cu incorporation shifts the d-band center closer to the Fermi level, which strengthens the interaction with ethylene glycol molecules and reduces the energy barrier for the rate-determining step, thereby improving the overall catalytic performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148909830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing Lithium-Ion Storage in Single-Crystalline Cu2Nb34O87 Anode via Aliovalent In3+ Doping: Enhanced Diffusion Kinetics and Cycling Stability Toward Lithium-Ion Capacitors","authors":"Hao Jiang, Yunsheng Yan, Jinfeng Sun, Dewen Li, Linrui Hou, Changzhou Yuan","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.71048","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cu<sub>2</sub>Nb<sub>34</sub>O<sub>87</sub> (CNO) with the Wadsley–Roth monoclinic structure has emerged as a promising candidate for lithium storage due to its considerable theoretical capacity and unique lithium-ion transport mechanism. However, its poor electronic conductivity and slow lithium-ion diffusion kinetics hinder its practical application as an anode material. To address these challenges, an In<sup>3+</sup> ion doping strategy is implemented here to optimize the performance of CNO, yielding the single-crystalline In-doped CNO (ICNOx) compounds with In<sup>3+</sup> substitutes Cu<sup>2+</sup> lattice sites. Electrochemical characterizations reveal that the optimized ICNO5 delivers the superior rate performance and maintains an exceptional capacity retention of 95.7% after 1000 cycles at 2.0 A g<sup>–1</sup>. Theoretical calculation demonstrates the optimized electronic structure and lower Li<sup>+</sup> diffusion energy barriers of ICNOx. Furthermore, lithium-ion capacitor configured with ICNO5 as the anode and activated carbon as the cathode obtains an energy density of 24.75 Wh kg<sup>–1</sup> at a high-power density of 4.30 kW kg<sup>–1</sup>. The findings here underscore the potential of lattice-engineered niobium-based oxides for high-performance, long-life energy storage applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148909832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemSusChemPub Date : 2026-09-07DOI: 10.1002/cssc.71026
Ronan Gleeson, Alessandro Fortunelli, Mathias Meidahl Hommelgaard, Mauro Stener, Yang Hu, Heine Anton Hansen
{"title":"An Integrated Spectroscopy–Microkinetic Approach to Identifying Active-Site Distributions in Palladium Single-Atom Catalysts","authors":"Ronan Gleeson, Alessandro Fortunelli, Mathias Meidahl Hommelgaard, Mauro Stener, Yang Hu, Heine Anton Hansen","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71026","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cssc.71026","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Single-atom catalysts based on metal-doped carbonaceous materials are promising catalysts. However, the synthesis procedure dictates the local atomic environment, often resulting in a heterogeneous distribution of active sites with distinct properties. Here, we identify these active sites and quantify the ensemble effect of single sites on the activity and selectivity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of a palladium/nitrogen-doped-graphene single-atom (Pd–N–C) catalyst. By combining core-level spectroscopic data from literature with in-house DFT calculations and microkinetic modeling, we screened various local active site structures. A thermodynamic formation analysis complemented by XANES exclude edge and porous sites based on their poor agreement with experiment and energetics respectively. The remaining basal site distribution within the model’s assumptions is best-fit quantified using absolute XPS calculations revealing a site distribution dominated by basal plane PdN<sub>4</sub>C<sub>10</sub> (67%–51%) and nitrogen enriched PdN<sub>4</sub>C<sub>10</sub> + 1N (49%–33%) active sites. The origin of stability for basal structures is geometrically rationalized by the trend in the number of stabilizing hexagonal rings. According to microkinetic ORR rate analysis, the onset potential for both basal active sites is governed by the initial hydrogenation step, whilst nitrogen enrichment increases activity but reduces H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> selectivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13550710/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148904818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemSusChemPub Date : 2026-09-06DOI: 10.1002/cssc.71037
Asato Inoue, Kazuhide Kamiya
{"title":"Molecular-Level Insights Into Alkali-Metal-Cation–CO2 Interactions at Electrified Cu(100) Interfaces by Molecular Dynamics Simulations","authors":"Asato Inoue, Kazuhide Kamiya","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71037","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cssc.71037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The activity of the electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction depends on the electric double layer, where partially dehydrated alkali metal (AM<sup>+</sup>) ions can stabilize CO<sub>2</sub> molecules and intermediates. However, whether such interaction-enabled configurations form under electrochemical conditions and how potential controls their probability remain unclear. Herein, we used classical molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate how the hydration environment of AM<sup>+</sup> ions and their spatial relationship with CO<sub>2</sub> molecules evolve as functions of the applied potential and alkali-metal-cation identity. The simulations revealed that at potentials more negative than −0.92 V versus point of zero charge, larger AM<sup>+</sup> ions such as Cs<sup>+</sup> and K<sup>+</sup> partially dehydrate near the Cu(100) surface. For K<sup>+</sup> at <i>q</i> = −14.3 μC cm<sup>−2</sup>, the hydration number decreased from 7.5 in the bulk region to 5.6 in the first interfacial layer, while the coordination number of K<sup>+</sup> around CO<sub>2</sub> was 0.49 near the surface and 0.20 in the bulk region. The likelihood of partially dehydrated AM<sup>+</sup> ions residing within the first coordination shell of CO<sub>2</sub> molecules increased with AM<sup>+</sup> ion size. At <i>q</i> = −9.52 μC cm<sup>−2</sup>, the coordination number of AM<sup>+</sup> ions around CO<sub>2</sub> increased from 0.08 for Li<sup>+</sup> to 0.23 for Cs<sup>+</sup>.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547899/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148899979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemSusChemPub Date : 2026-09-04DOI: 10.1002/cssc.71034
Sandu Cibotaru, Roxana Dinu, David D. Swanson, Alice Mija
{"title":"Synergistic Crosslinking of Triglycidyl Ether of Resveratrol With Amino Acids as a Novel Pathway to Design Sustainable High-Performance Thermosets","authors":"Sandu Cibotaru, Roxana Dinu, David D. Swanson, Alice Mija","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71034","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cssc.71034","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study explores the use of amino acids as renewable curing agents for the synthesis of fully biobased epoxy thermosets derived from triglycidylether of resveratrol (TGER). Combining the multifunctionality of amino acids with the aromatic rigidity of resveratrol, high-performance sustainable thermosets were designed. To increase the green metrics, series of TGER/amino acid formulations were prepared and polymerized under controlled thermal conditions consistent with green chemistry principles. Differential scanning calorimetry and temperature-assisted FTIR analyses demonstrated complete functional conversion and network formation through amino ether and ester linkages while dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the prepared thermosets show glass transition values between 115 and 250 °C and high storage moduli up to 3.6 GPa. Among the examined systems, aromatic amino acids such as tyrosine, tryptophan, and histidine produced the most rigid and performant materials. Tensile and hardness tests confirmed that the designed thermosets are tough, moderately brittle, with Shore D values up to 87. Thermogravimetric and moisture absorption analyses indicated good thermo-oxidative resistance and low water uptake for aromatic amino acid-based networks. Overall, the study underscores the feasibility of achieving high-performance, sustainable thermosets using amino acids as curing agents, supporting the transition toward fully biobased polymers.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13544634/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148890591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemSusChemPub Date : 2026-09-04DOI: 10.1002/cssc.71028
Zoe Smania, Degnet M. Dereje, Silvia Zanatta, Michele Modesti, Pietro Ostellari, Silvia Gross, Mauro Carraro
{"title":"Hydrated Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Sustainable Valorization of Textile Waste","authors":"Zoe Smania, Degnet M. Dereje, Silvia Zanatta, Michele Modesti, Pietro Ostellari, Silvia Gross, Mauro Carraro","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71028","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cssc.71028","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A series of new deep eutectic solvents (DESs) was prepared to enable a greener approach to cellulose recovery from cotton products and textile waste. In this context, while choline-based binary DESs have been extensively investigated, alternative systems, especially metal-based hydrated DESs, have received less attention. In this work, four novel ternary DESs were synthesized using (i) ZnCl<sub>2</sub> or CaCl<sub>2</sub> and (ii) lactic acid or tartaric acid, (iii) with water added as a third component. By combining the hydrogen bond-disrupting capacity of traditional binary DESs with the lubricating-modifier and stabilizing effects of water, low-viscosity DESs, stable at room temperature, were obtained. These systems demonstrated remarkable versatility in processing cellulose from different sources, enabling complete dissolution of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and extensive structural disruption of cotton fibers to recover regenerated cellulose or nanocellulose (NC). The DES formulations were characterized through thermal and rheological analyses, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal stability, morphology, and structural changes of the processed cellulosic materials were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and electron microscopies (TEM and SEM/EDX). Overall, these results highlight the potential of earth-abundant, cost-effective metal-based DESs for the sustainable valorization of cotton-derived waste.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13544636/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148890632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemSusChemPub Date : 2026-09-04DOI: 10.1002/cssc.71030
Suteerna Mullick, Debasis Banerjee
{"title":"A General and Sustainable Strategy for the Depolymerization of Carbamates, Ureas, and Polyurethanes to Specialty Chemicals Enabled by Nickel","authors":"Suteerna Mullick, Debasis Banerjee","doi":"10.1002/cssc.71030","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cssc.71030","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plastics have numerous applications in industrial and household purposes. Thus, their annual production is increasing, thereby generating enormous end-of-life waste. Very often, these polymeric wastes are typically buried underground or discharged into the ocean and is alarming. Notably, recycling rates of such polymers are extremely low; therefore, sustainable solutions for recycling of polymers attracted significant attention. Herein, we have demonstrated a general and sustainable transfer hydrogenation strategy for the depolymerization of carbamates and ureas, including polyurethanes (PU)—the polymeric analogs of carbamates—and lab-made polyurethanes enabled by nickel. A variety of end-of-life PU wastes generated from bike seats and kitchen sponges have been depolymerized into speciality chemicals, such as aromatic diamine and polyols. Catalytic protocols exhibited a broad scope (>52 entries, up to 99% yield) and remarkable functional group tolerance. Mechanistic studies and control experiments were performed to understand the catalytic pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":149,"journal":{"name":"ChemSusChem","volume":"19 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148890509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}