Natasha P. Murphy, Stephen H. Dempsey, Jason S. DesVeaux, Taylor Uekert, Allen C. Chang, Swarnalatha Mailaram, Manar Alherech, Hannah M. Alt, Kelsey J. Ramirez, Brenna Norton-Baker, Elizabeth L. Bell, Christine A. Singer, Andrew R. Pickford, John E. McGeehan, Margaret J. Sobkowicz, Gregg T. Beckham
{"title":"Process innovations to enable viable enzymatic poly(ethylene terephthalate) recycling","authors":"Natasha P. Murphy, Stephen H. Dempsey, Jason S. DesVeaux, Taylor Uekert, Allen C. Chang, Swarnalatha Mailaram, Manar Alherech, Hannah M. Alt, Kelsey J. Ramirez, Brenna Norton-Baker, Elizabeth L. Bell, Christine A. Singer, Andrew R. Pickford, John E. McGeehan, Margaret J. Sobkowicz, Gregg T. Beckham","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00212-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00212-y","url":null,"abstract":"Enzymatic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has received considerable attention for closed-loop polyester recycling. However, current approaches for enzymatic PET recycling face challenges to achieve commercial viability with lower environmental impacts compared with virgin polyester manufacturing. Here we present multiple process innovations for enzymatic PET recycling that enable economic and environmental feasibility. We show that substrate amorphization through extrusion and quenching is energy-efficient and enables near-quantitative enzymatic conversion in 50 h. Using ammonium hydroxide for pH control and thermolysis of the isolated diammonium terephthalate salt reduces the acid and base consumption by >99%, lowering annual operating expenses by 74%. Fed-batch processing increased ethylene glycol concentration, leading to a 65% reduction in energy consumption for ethylene glycol recovery. These improvements were modeled in an optimal process, with recycled PET estimated to be US$1.51 kg−1 relative to US domestic virgin PET at US$1.87 kg−1 and eliminating key life cycle obstacles to scale this technology. Enzymatic recycling is an emerging technology to circularize the ubiquitous polyester poly(ethylene terephthalate). Here the authors evaluate and implement multiple process changes to improve the scalability and viability of this recycling technology. Process modeling demonstrates that these changes could enable cost competitiveness and greatly reduce overall life cycle impacts.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 5","pages":"309-320"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Self-driving nanoparticle synthesis","authors":"Tong Zhao, Yan Zeng","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00225-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00225-7","url":null,"abstract":"The multidimensional chemical parameter space for nanoparticle synthesis is too extensive for traditional exploration, but integrating robotic automation, microfluidics and machine learning can accelerate discovery and improve synthesis controllability.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 5","pages":"290-291"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using pseudo-steady-state operation to redefine stability in CO2 electrolysis","authors":"Thomas Burdyny","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00210-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00210-0","url":null,"abstract":"Whereas chemical reactors can be run for years with limited maintenance, no reactor is inherently stable. Catalysts and components naturally degrade over time. If degradation is slow enough and understood, however, performance losses with time need not impede commercialization. For example, thermochemical reactions can be run at progressively increasing temperatures to compensate for degrading catalysts. In recent years, various electrochemical reactions have been investigated to support the renewable electrification of various sectors, with stability being a key necessity for future use. Unfortunately, in fields such as CO2 electrolysis, more efforts have been placed on achieving stability instead of characterizing degradation, which is a lost opportunity. This Perspective provides a critical reflection on stability—a flawed performance metric—and advocates for a switch in mindset toward characterizing pseudo-steady-state operation. A classification of transient versus pseudo-steady-state degradation mechanisms present in CO2 electrolysis is also provided, along with recommended characterization practices. Collectively, it is advocated that redefining stability is the best way to improve it. A critical necessity of electrochemical catalysts and reactions is that they demonstrate stable operation over time, but what defines something as stable or unstable? This Perspective discusses the complexities of stability in CO2 electrolysis, calling for a re-evaluation and redefinition of stability as a performance metric.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 6","pages":"350-357"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Breaking data silos in drug discovery with federated learning","authors":"Can Li","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00213-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00213-x","url":null,"abstract":"Federated learning enables collaboration without compromising data privacy, but challenges remain. Now, a data-centric approach named FLuID enhances knowledge sharing in drug discovery, demonstrating improved predictive performance while preserving confidentiality across pharmaceutical companies.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 5","pages":"288-289"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pushing the boundaries of membrane separations","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00218-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00218-6","url":null,"abstract":"Membrane-based separations are a cornerstone of modern chemical engineering. This Editorial reiterates our interest in all aspects of the topic, highlighting some recent contributions in this issue of Nature Chemical Engineering.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 4","pages":"231-232"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-025-00218-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145122966","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":"Microbubbles do the ‘wave’","authors":"Thomas Dursch","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00214-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00214-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 4","pages":"236-236"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145122967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electrohydrodynamics for the undergraduate student body","authors":"Valeria Garbin","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00209-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00209-7","url":null,"abstract":"Valeria Garbin discusses the importance of electrically driven transport phenomena and how this could be communicated to undergraduate students.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 4","pages":"273-273"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145122963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Selective separation of similar-sized solutes","authors":"Mo Qiao","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00215-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00215-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 4","pages":"235-235"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145122941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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