ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Optimizing Chain Flexibility and Phase Morphology for High-Performance Bio-Based Packaging Films: A Comparative Study of Flexible PBAF Blended with Rigid/Amorphous PISO and Rigid/Crystalline PLGA","authors":"Tawiwat Kunthong,&nbsp;Kevin van der Maas,&nbsp;Angus McLuskie,&nbsp;Gert-Jan M. Gruter* and Suwabun Chirachanchai*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c06398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c06398","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Bio-based packaging films face challenges in mechanical toughness, service temperature range, and gas barrier properties, which hinder widespread adoption. This study investigates polymer blends that combine flexible poly(butylene adipate-co-furanoate) (PBAF) with either rigid/amorphous poly(isosorbide succinate-co-oxalate) (PISO₁₀) or rigid/crystalline poly(lactic-<i>co</i>-glycolic acid) (PLGA₉₀) for food packaging applications. A stepwise (2 + 1) copolymerization process proves to be practical and scalable for synthesizing PBAF. PBAF₆₅, selected for its broad service temperature range (−6.7 to 121.7 °C), serves as the flexible matrix in both blend systems. When incorporating 15 wt % content of either PISO₁₀ or PLGA₉₀, the blends show high elongation (∼700%), increased modulus (∼3-fold), and improved barrier properties (oxygen and water vapor BIFs of ∼4.3 and ∼0.7, respectively, compared to HDPE). The rigid/amorphous PISO₁₀ promotes good miscibility with PBAF₆₅ and maintains a high impact strength, in contrast to the reduced impact strength observed with rigid/crystalline PLGA₉₀. Pilot-scale processing of the PBAF₆₅/PISO₁₀(15) film via twin-screw extrusion and blown film extrusion yields excellent dimensional stability, withstanding hot-fill (∼85 °C) and ice contact (∼5 °C) without defects. This study presents a case in which the selection of suitable rigid/amorphous or rigid/crystalline components enables the tailoring of flexible bio-based polymer blends for high-performance packaging applications, particularly in film form.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"15149–15163"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life Cycle Assessment of an Integrated SOFC System for Cooling, Heating, Power, and Dehumidification","authors":"Mengxian Wang,&nbsp;Sheng Yang and Nan Xie*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c08076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c08076","url":null,"abstract":"<p >As a sustainable energy solution, polygeneration systems differ from traditional combined heat and power systems in terms of energy, economic, and environmental performance. However, integrated systems that combine cooling, heating, power generation, and dehumidification have yet to be fully explored. This study conducts a life cycle assessment of a natural gas-fueled four-generation system based on a solid oxide fuel cell. Using GaBi software modeling to study materials and energy consumption, output, and emissions during the production, transportation, use, and recycling processes, the system is analyzed by employing two environmental assessment methods, IPCC and IMPACT 2002+. In the IPCC method analysis, the system has an advantage in GWP100 reduction and can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, with a reduction of −5.10 × 10⁷ kg CO₂ eq. The 15 midpoint categories of IMPACT 2002+ all show a favorable effect on the environment. Among the damage categories, the indicators for human health, ecosystem quality, climate change, and resources are −3.08 × 10¹ DALY, −1.96 × 10⁶ PDF·m²·yr, −4.71 × 10⁷ kg CO₂, and −1.75 × 10⁸ MJ, respectively. This research proposed a novel cogeneration system that achieves significant resources and energy savings and emission reduction throughout its life cycle, providing a sustainable and effective energy solution that is conducive to environmentally sustainable development.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"15242–15256"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Polymetallic Oxide Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Synthesis of Urea from N2 and CO2 at Ultralow Applied Voltage","authors":"Jiongliang Yuan*,&nbsp;Kunye Zhu,&nbsp;Donglin Song,&nbsp;Yuning Su,&nbsp;Lingjia Ma,&nbsp;Jianjun Wei and Xu Xiang,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c03749","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c03749","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Due to operation at ambient temperature and pressure, the electrocatalytic synthesis of urea from N₂ and CO₂ is promising. However, the high consumption of electrical energy reduces the interest of the industrial sector. Reducing the applied voltage for the electrocatalytic synthesis of urea is an urgent issue to be solved. Herein the polymetallic oxide FeCoNiCuMO_<i>x</i> (<i>M</i> = Ce, Mg, In, Zn) catalysts have been fabricated, and their catalytic performance for electrocatalytic urea synthesis has been investigated. Among those catalysts, the FeCoNiCuCeO_<i>x</i> catalyst shows the highest activity and selectivity toward urea. At an ultralow applied voltage of −0.2 V (vs RHE), the formation rate of urea reaches 6.37 mmol g_cat^–1 h^–1, with a corresponding Faradaic efficiency of 26.7%. The oxygen vacancy in FeCoNiCuCeO_<i>x</i> plays a crucial role in enhancing the catalytic performance by facilitating the adsorption/activation of CO₂ and N₂. The higher adsorption capacity and binding energy of CO₂ and N₂ lead to a higher electrocatalytic performance of FeCoNiCuCeO_<i>x</i>. Higher C–N coupling efficiency originates from higher coverage of *CO and optimal binding strength between *CO and the catalyst surface. The synergy of CuFe₂O₄/CoNiO₂ and CeO₂ with an oxygen vacancy enhances the electrocatalytic performance of FeCoNiCuCeO_<i>x</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14782–14791"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Imidazole-Tailored Ionomers Achieve Concurrent Proton Conduction Boost and Electron Transport Retention in the Anode Catalyst Layer for PEM Water Electrolysis","authors":"Penglin Yang,&nbsp;Jian Huang*,&nbsp;Fang Chen,&nbsp;DingDing Ye,&nbsp;Jie Song,&nbsp;Guizhi Xu,&nbsp;Liang Zhang,&nbsp;Jun Li*,&nbsp;Xun Zhu and Qiang Liao*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c01864","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c01864","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In the anode catalyst layer (ACL) of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis, the ionomer confinement effect and its interfacial interactions with the IrO₂ catalyst significantly impair proton transfer efficiency and catalyst utilization. This study develops an imidazole-doped ionomer through in situ polymerization to address these limitations. Imidazole is anchored within the ionomer nanochannels via acid–base coordination with sulfonic acid groups, forming hydration-assisted proton highways through hydrogen-bonding networks between imidazole nitrogen atoms and water molecules. Simultaneously, the coordinated imidazole suppresses ionomer adsorption on the IrO₂ catalyst surfaces, reducing the number of poisoned Ir active sites and enhancing the electronic conduction between catalyst aggregates. The in situ polymerization strategy effectively prevents imidazole leaching, ensuring long-term operational stability. Compared to the traditional ACL, the modified membrane electrode assembly achieves significant improvement in water electrolysis performance by 14.2% (3.0 A cm^–2@1.90 V) and exhibits exceptional durability (a 10.6 μV h^–1 voltage decay rate for 1500 h). This approach provides an effective strategy for designing high-performance ionomer-catalyst interfaces in electrochemical energy systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14693–14701"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visible-Light-Mediated Sulfonylation of Arenes via Catalytic Electron Donor–Acceptor Complex of Thianthrenium Salts","authors":"Liangke Guo,&nbsp;Jiangzhen An,&nbsp;Haoran Liu,&nbsp;Bailing Zhou,&nbsp;Kai Sun*,&nbsp;Fuyi Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaolan Chen,&nbsp;Peng Liu,&nbsp;Lingbo Qu and Bing Yu*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c05040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c05040","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A novel electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex for photocatalytic sulfonylation has been developed, utilizing catalytic tris(4-methoxyphenyl)amine as the electron donor, thianthrene salts as the acceptor, and DABCO·(SO₂)₂ as a source of SO₂ to generate sulfonyl radicals. This environmentally benign methodology eliminates the need for metal-based photocatalysts, organic dyes, or additives, offering a straightforward and efficient approach for the photocatalytic sulfonylation of arenes via thianthrenation. This method demonstrates good functional group tolerance and broad versatility, making it promising for the late-stage functionalization of a wide range of bioactive molecules. This advancement not only improves the synthetic accessibility of sulfones but also aligns with sustainable chemistry principles by minimizing the use of hazardous reagents and energy-intensive processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14939–14948"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moisture-Absorbing Holey Graphene-Wood Composite Aerogel for Fast Dehumidification","authors":"Guihua Yan*,&nbsp;Ruichen Qin,&nbsp;Jiajia Zhang,&nbsp;Zhenzhe Li,&nbsp;Yuman Gao,&nbsp;Yuhang Wang,&nbsp;Jiaqi Wang,&nbsp;Na Guo,&nbsp;Gaofeng Chen*,&nbsp;Xue Song and Yongde Liu,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04050","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Air dehumidification is important for human health, grain storage, fruit preservation, <i>etc</i>. However, traditional desiccants have difficulty storing the captured moisture and are hard to recycle, resulting in a poor dehumidification effect. In this study, a sustainable, moisture-absorbing aerogel fabricated from natural wood was constructed by removing lignin from wood, filling GO and etching to form a porous skeleton structure, and constructing LiCl in turn. When LiCl is immersed in the structure, due to the strong interaction between the rich hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of wood fiber, graphene, and LiCl, the loss of LiCl is effectively prevented. After 30 h of exposure to air (RH = 26–30%, <i>T</i> = 24–26 °C), the water absorption capacity of LiCl@holey GO-wood is 3.597 g g^–1, which is approximately three times higher than that of LiCl (1.216 g), 3 times higher than 4A molecular sieve (0.72 g), and 25 times higher than silica gel (0.145 g). Compared with common hygroscopic materials, the design of the wood-based multiporous hygroscopic aerogel makes the structure resistant to collapse and realizes multiple advantages of hygroscopic property, structural integrity, and long-term reusability of the wood-based aerogel.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14815–14824"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon-Neutral Silicon via Aluminothermic Reduction? Exploring Industrial Symbiosis through Life Cycle Assessment","authors":"Elisa Pastor-Vallés*,&nbsp;Alejandro Abadías Llamas and Johan Berg Pettersen,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04666","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04666","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Silicon is conventionally produced by carbothermic reduction, which reduces quartz with a carbon source. An alternative process is the aluminothermic reduction, which uses an aluminum source instead, leading to a substantial decrease in direct CO₂ emissions. This paper assesses a case study on industrial symbiosis by producing silicon through aluminothermic reduction using aluminum dross resourced as a reductant material. Various process alternatives are evaluated, with inventories constructed from thermodynamic process simulations and mass and energy balances. We find that the impact of global warming and cumulative energy demand can be reduced by up to 80% in the aluminothermic route. Still, other impacts increase due to the strong influence of the expected alternative use of the aluminum scrap fraction and the need for additional input materials. From the different process parameters and configurations studied in the aluminothermic route, recirculating carbonation gases, reprocessing the byproduct slags, and the use of surplus aluminum scrap hold the most significant potential. The methodology used in this article exemplifies the use of prospective Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in support of concept development to identify environmental hotspots and improvement potential in the early phases of production technologies.</p><p >Through the application of LCA, this study assesses aluminothermic silicon production as a potentially carbon-neutral pathway enabled by industrial symbiosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14893–14902"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04666","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Synergy between π–π Interactions and Hydrogen-Bonding in the Formation of Type V Deep Eutectic Solvents","authors":"Eva Pietropaoli,&nbsp;Giorgia Mannucci,&nbsp;Luigi Cirillo,&nbsp;Matteo Palluzzi,&nbsp;Matteo Busato* and Paola D’Angelo*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c05276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c05276","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We present the design and characterization of two novel hydrophobic eutectic mixtures, where π–π attractive forces may drive deep eutectic solvent (DES) formation and provide potential capabilities for sustainable extractions. As model systems, we selected precursor molecules where ad hoc functional groups modulate the electron density of the aromatic rings in opposite directions, namely, 1,3-diacetylbenzene (DAB), 3,5-dimethoxyphenol (DMP), and 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (TMB). Solid–liquid equilibrium analysis, conducted through differential scanning calorimetry measurements, and the conductor-like screen model for realistic solvents predictive tool reveal a different thermal behavior between the DMP/DAB and TMB/DAB mixtures. A remarkable depression of the melting point (MP) as compared to thermal ideality is found for the DMP/DAB system, that can be classified as a type V DES. This deviation originates both from the strong hydrogen-bonds (H-bonds) between the DAB and DMP molecules in the mixture and the presence of noncovalent π–π interactions between the aromatic rings of the two components. Conversely, only a slight but detectable MP depression is observed upon DAB addition to TMB and this thermal behavior is explained by the absence of H-bonds and the existence of π–π interactions between the electron-rich TMB and the electron-deficient DAB aromatic systems. The π–π interaction between the TMB and DAB molecules is more favorable than the self-aggregation among TMB molecules in the pure state due to the high electron density of the aromatic ring and the steric hindrance among the bulky methoxy groups.</p><p >Innovative DESs serve as sustainable extractants for aromatic compounds exploiting π–π interactions between target molecules and the receiving phase.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14980–14989"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c05276","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Label Stability in Oligopeptide-Modified Polymer Filament for Advanced Materials: Ultraviolet Exposure and Biodegradation Study","authors":"Joanna Rydz*,&nbsp;Khadar Duale,&nbsp;Marta Musioł,&nbsp;Henryk Janeczek,&nbsp;Anna Hercog,&nbsp;Andrzej Marcinkowski,&nbsp;Kristof Molnar,&nbsp;Frederick C. Michel Jr.,&nbsp;Michael Klingman,&nbsp;Maria Letizia Focarete,&nbsp;Judit E. Puskas,&nbsp;Przemysław Mielczarek,&nbsp;Piotr Suder,&nbsp;Miroslawa El Fray,&nbsp;Konrad Walkowiak,&nbsp;Joanna Rokicka,&nbsp;Malwina Niedźwiedź,&nbsp;Alexander Grundmann,&nbsp;Simon T. Kaysser,&nbsp;Sönke Detjen,&nbsp;Brian Johnston,&nbsp;Iza Radecka,&nbsp;Vinodh Kannappan and Marek Kowalczuk,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04602","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04602","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study explores the integration of triglycine, an oligopeptide, as a green molecular marker in 3D-printed poly(1,4-butylene adipate-<i>co</i>-1,4-butylene terephthalate)/polylactide (PBAT/PLA)-based specimens with different printing temperatures to enhance the traceability of (bio)degradable polymers. This approach supports the advancement of sustainable materials by enabling the identification of the material origin and degradation processes. The research assesses the behavior of the labeled polymer under UV exposure, evaluating the stability of the oligopeptide marker to ensure that the information remains retrievable even after exposure to environmental stressors. In addition, their behavior during aerobic composting, as well as anaerobic digestion, is investigated to promote environmentally friendly practices. This study employed an extraction procedure to isolate and retrieve encoded information, which was then analyzed using a mass spectrometry method, ESI/TIMS-Q-TOF. This makes it possible to determine the sequence of the oligopeptide and compare it with the previously used MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry procedure. Cytotoxicity studies were also conducted to assess the potential hazards associated with PBAT/PLA-based specimens, considering their potential biomedical applications. The PBAT/PLA-based specimens demonstrated good oligopeptide stability, enabling effective retrieval of recorded information from the green polymer/oligopeptide system even after UV exposure. UV irradiation affected cold crystallization temperature and melting temperature and caused self-chain/cross-linking of the PBAT/PLA-based specimens. In general, the analyses show that specimens printed at a higher temperature (190 °C) have a higher degradation rate than those printed at a lower temperature (155 °C). This phenomenon was attributed to the higher porosity and increased water permeability of the specimens printed at 190 °C, compared to those printed at 155 °C, which is likely due to the greater phase separation and reduced miscibility in the former.</p><p >The integration of triglycine, a green marker, into printed PBAT/PLA specimens was investigated to enhance the traceability of (bio)degradable polymers.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14873–14892"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04602","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Net-Zero Ethylene: On the Sustainability, Economics, and Scalability of Synthetic and Fossil Production Pathways","authors":"Alvina Aui,&nbsp;Thomas Moore,&nbsp;Wenqin Li*,&nbsp;Amitava Sarkar,&nbsp;Eric B. Duoss,&nbsp;Christopher Hahn and Sarah Baker*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c02596","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c02596","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The ethylene industry has contributed over 260 million tons of CO₂ annually, warranting a more sustainable approach. The conversion of CO₂ and H₂O into ethylene is an appealing technology capable of decoupling chemical production from fossil fuels. However, the large energy demand from this process can potentially lead to adverse environmental impacts. In this article, we critically analyze the economic viability, environmental impact, and scalability of the conversion of CO₂ to ethylene via electrochemical reduction (CO₂R) and compare this with those of CO₂-neutral fossil routes utilizing carbon capture and direct air capture. Ethylene derived from CO₂ may be economically competitive under optimistic conditions; however, its large energy requirements pose environmental and scalability challenges. Meeting forecast 2050 ethylene demand using CO₂R would require half of all electricity produced globally today, and, if powered by solar PV, may have greater CO₂ emissions than current petrochemical ethylene production, negating the purpose of this technology. Using Carbon Capture and Storage and Direct Air Capture to decarbonize petrochemical pathways would require roughly an order of magnitude less energy but would have disproportionate health and climate impacts. Lastly, the analysis highlights the importance of low-carbon energy sources to ensure sustainable CO₂R ethylene production.</p>","PeriodicalId":25,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering","volume":"13 36","pages":"14714–14725"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}