RSC sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Polymer composites with carbon nanotubes made from CO2†","authors":"Gad Licht, Kyle Hofstetter and Stuart Licht","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00234B","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00234B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Carbanogels are carbon nanotube (CNT) lattices formed by carbon capture and utilization molten carbonate electrolysis of CO<small>₂</small>. Higher tensile strength polymer composites with these CNTs from CO<small>₂</small> are prepared with epoxies and thermoplastics. The composites use less polymer to achieve strength, thereby lowering the polymer's carbon footprint.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2496-2504"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00234b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141743262","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":"Eco-friendly amidation of oxidized carbon black by dry ball milling†","authors":"Aida Kiani, Marco Palumbo and Maria Rosaria Acocella","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00216D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00216D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >An unprecedented amidation of oxidized carbon black (oCB) by a mechanochemical approach is reported. The reaction proceeds in the presence of octadecylamine (ODA) in a short time, providing the corresponding adduct (oCB/ODA) with a high degree of functionalization. Hummers and ball milling procedures were used to obtain oxidized carbon black in solution and solvent-free conditions, respectively. Although the oxidation procedure used for oCB synthesis can deeply affect the degree of amidation because of the different nature of the functional groups on the carbon surface, the resulting powders were both functionalized with amine. The corresponding adducts showed a strong inversion of polarity, going from the high dispersibility in the water solution of the starting material to the high hydrophobic behaviour due to the alkyl chains bonded on the surface. Since the mechanochemical approach respects important green metrics, the procedure is highly sustainable.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2581-2588"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00216d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141743265","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":"Correction: Cleaning steel by devulcanizing rubber from used automotive tires","authors":"Yang Chen, Saleh Ibrahim, Sijia Zheng, Liam Wittenberg, Spencer Chapple, Griffin LaChapelle, Cheok Hang Iao, Adam Bourke and Michael A. Brook","doi":"10.1039/D4SU90030H","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU90030H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Correction for ‘Cleaning steel by devulcanizing rubber from used automotive tires' by Yang Chen <em>et al.</em>, <em>RSC Sustain.</em>, 2023, <strong>1</strong>, 2006–2013, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SU00218G.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 8","pages":" 2389-2389"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su90030h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141743266","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":"Polymerized ionic liquid Co-catalysts driving photocatalytic CO2 transformation†","authors":"Lisa Eisele, Bletë Hulaj, Maximilian Podsednik, Francesco Laudani, Pablo Ayala, Alexey Cherevan, Annette Foelske, Andreas Limbeck, Dominik Eder and Katharina Bica-Schröder","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00194J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00194J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Photocatalytic production of CO from CO<small>₂</small> has the potential for safe and atom-economic production of feedstock chemicals <em>via in situ</em> carbonylation chemistry. We developed novel ionic liquid-based polymeric materials through radical copolymerisation of 1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium chloride and photocatalytically active Re- and Ru-complexes that serve as the CO<small>₂</small> reduction catalyst and photosensitiser, respectively. The crosslinked polymeric framework allows for the facile immobilisation of molecular organometallic complexes for use as heterogenised catalysts; moreover, the involved imidazolium core units co-catalyze the reduction of CO<small>₂</small><em>via</em> covalent interaction. The ratio of sensitiser and catalyst was analysed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) and set in relation to results from photocatalytic experiments. Ultimately, the heterogenous polymeric framework showed high selectivity for CO formation on photocatalytic CO<small>₂</small> reduction with improved stability to the corresponding homogenous system.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2524-2531"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00194j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141721042","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":"Continuous drop-in-biofuel production from pretreated sugarcane bagasse in a microwave-visible irradiated continuous stirred slurry reactor: reaction kinetics & techno-enviro-economic sustainability analyses†","authors":"Sourav Barman and Rajat Chakraborty","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00250D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00250D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This work utilizes an innovative microwave-visible irradiated continuous stirred slurry reactor (MWVIS-CSSR) for sustainable continuous production of a drop-in biofuel, namely, ethyl levulinate (EL), from pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSCB). Besides, a novel realistic kinetic model, considering MWVIS intensified EL production through parallel non-catalytic and homogeneous–heterogeneous catalytic pathways in the presence of a magnetic Ni<small>_0.5</small>Zn<small>_0.5</small>Fe<small>₂</small>O<small>₄</small> (NZF) photocatalyst in conjunction with an oxalic acid–choline chloride based acidic deep eutectic solvent (DES2), was also formulated and validated (<em>R</em><small>²</small> adj. ≥ 0.95). The 5 liter volume MWVIS-CSSR could render maximum 54.7 mol% EL yield (selectivity: 97.85%) at a feed flow rate of 35 ml min<small>⁻¹</small> under optimized conditions (temperature: 100 °C, NZF loading: 6 wt% PSCB, stirring speed: 500 rpm). Remarkably, the synergistic impact of MW and VIS irradiation substantially elevated the EL yield (54.7 mol%) compared to those of the individual MW (29.45 mol%) and VIS (20.1 mol%) systems. The optimally produced EL when blended at 5 vol% with B10 and B20 (10% and 20% biodiesel–diesel blends) could enhance the brake thermal efficiency (1–2%) besides mitigating 21–22% HC and 7.5–20% CO engine exhaust emissions in comparison with reference blends (B10 and B20). Notably, the reactor scale-up study based on the penetration depth of the MW and VIS energy of NZF and DES2 showcased the potential to upscale the 5 liter MWVIS-CSSR to a 1 m<small>³</small> volume, allowing EL production to reach 689 kg h<small>⁻¹</small> with a sugarcane bagasse processing capacity of 2000 kg h<small>⁻¹</small>. Moreover, the process simulation conducted in Aspen Plus software, utilizing COSMO-based property estimation with DFT calculations, alongside the techno-economic analysis, revealed a robust internal rate of return (IRR) of 54.25% and a net present value (NPV) of 8.22 × 10<small>⁵</small> US$ with a payback period of 4.91 years. Additionally, the environmental impact analysis study for the scaled-up EL production process in the MWVIS-CSSR revealed a reduction of 40–60% in marine ecotoxicity and 39–61% in human toxicity compared to the separate MW-CSSR and VIS-CSSR systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2598-2614"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00250d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141721043","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":"Thermal approaches based on microwaves to recover lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries†","authors":"A. Cornelio, A. Zanoletti, M. Scaglia, E. Galli, D. La Corte, G. Biava and E. Bontempi","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00202D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00202D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >During the energy transition, the demand for strategic metals has become a focal point due to their crucial roles in advancing cleaner energy technologies and sustainable practices. As a response to the potential supply vulnerabilities of critical raw materials, recycling has gained attention, despite some methods being more expensive than traditional mining. In this context, new technologies based on microwave radiation have been recently introduced to recover lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries. This study highlights the innovative results achieved through the application of microwave heating to lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) black mass, showing that mass increase can support the possibility of proposing the technology as a new sustainable approach. The possibility of coupling carbon materials with magnetic materials, available in the black mass (BM) results in a strategic approach to increasing the final temperature of microwave-absorbing materials. The process proves highly efficient in lithium recovery, with a treatment at 600 W for 5 minutes, reaching a value higher than 80%, while also eliminating some labour-intensive pre-treatment steps. The research sheds light on both the advantages and potential challenges associated with this ground-breaking technology.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2505-2514"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00202d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141721044","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":"Synthesis of high molecular weight poly(ricinoleic acid) via direct solution polycondensation in hydrophobic ionic liquids†","authors":"Lulu Wang, Hua Yuan, Xiaoli Ma, Zijin Li, Haowei Sun, Xiaoyan Zhang, Xiaoyu Huang, Qiaohong Peng and Yeqiang Tan","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00185K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00185K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Ricinoleic acid, a natural hydroxy fatty acid, is a good candidate for preparing biodegradable polymer elastomers. Herein, high molecular weight poly(ricinoleic acid) (PRA) with a weight average molecular weight up to 122 kDa was successfully synthesized by solution polycondensation of methyl ricinoleate (MR) in hydrophobic ionic liquids, 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. The influence of monomer concentration, polymerization temperature and time, catalyst and properties of the ionic liquids on the polycondensation was comprehensively studied. Compared with the melt polycondensation, the solution polycondensation of MR in the ionic liquids can achieve much higher molecular weights. The PRA polymerized in ionic liquids shows a 100% cis structure like the natural monomer.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2541-2548"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00185k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573503","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":"Recent advancements in carbon fiber-based sustainable electrodes for flexible and wearable supercapacitors","authors":"Susmi Anna Thomas, Jayesh Cherusseri and Deepthi N. Rajendran","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00146J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00146J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Electrochemical energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors have replaced conventional batteries and dielectric capacitors owing to their excellent charge storage capabilities. Among them, supercapacitors (SCs) are excellent owing to their high-power density and ability to deliver high-power on demand within a fraction of a second. Furthermore, SCs utilize water-based electrolytes, and hence they are safe and reliable energy storage devices for application in portable and wearable electronic devices. However, a major challenge in the fabrication of flexible and wearable SCs is the rigidity of their electrodes due to the use of rigid metallic current collectors, hindering the successful implementation of SCs to power commercial wearable electronic devices. Thus, the flexibility of SCs is mainly attributed to their electrodes, and hence their preparation is crucial. In this review, we present the facile fabrication of SCs using carbon fibers (CFs) including carbon microfibers and carbon nanofibers. CFs are a sustainable environment-friendly material that can be employed for the fabrication of electrochemical energy storage devices. CFs function as both the electrode-active material and current collector during the fabrication of SCs. However, a major bottleneck in the use of CFs as electrode-active materials in SCs is their low specific capacitance. In this case, the specific capacitance of CF-based SCs can be enhanced <em>via</em> the preparation of hybrid or nanocomposite electrodes by combining CFs with other high-performing electrode-active materials such as electronically conducting polymers, nanocarbons, MXenes, and transition metal oxides. We provide a detailed discussion on various strategies adopted for the synthesis of CF-based hybrid/nanocomposite flexible electrodes for application in SCs. Furthermore, the evaluation of the electrochemical performance of CF-based SC electrodes is reviewed, with emphasis on their flexible and wearable features. This review will give readers an in-depth insight into the preparation of sustainable CF-based flexible electrodes for application in next-generation wearable SCs.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2403-2443"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00146j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573504","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":"A greener prescription: the power of natural organic materials in healthcare","authors":"João V. Paulin","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00219A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00219A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Natural organic materials (NM), which are biodegradable, biocompatible, renewable, and electroactive, offer a sustainable solution to the environmental impact of technological progress. This perspective emphasizes NM's potential to reduce environmental impact and create sustainable solutions for medical devices and disposable products. Nonetheless, challenges remain in scaling up production and addressing durability. Integrating natural systems into technological processes can help achieve a more eco-friendly and balanced future.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 8","pages":" 2190-2198"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00219a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573508","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":"Ion-combination specific effects driving the enzymatic activity of halophilic alcohol dehydrogenase 2 from Haloferax volcanii in aqueous ionic liquid solvent mixtures†","authors":"Alexandra Schindl, M. Lawrence Hagen, Isabel Cooley, Christof M. Jäger, Andrew C. Warden, Mischa Zelzer, Thorsten Allers and Anna K. Croft","doi":"10.1039/D3SU00412K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D3SU00412K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Biocatalysis in ionic liquids enables novel routes for bioprocessing. Enzymes derived from extremophiles promise greater stability and activity under ionic liquid (IL) influence. Here, we probe the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase 2 from the halophilic archaeon <em>Haloferax volcanii</em> in thirteen different ion combinations for relative activity and analyse the results against molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the same IL systems. We probe the ionic liquid property space based on ion polarizability and molecular electrostatic potential. Using the radial distribution functions, survival probabilities and spatial distribution functions of ions, we show that cooperative ion–ion interactions determine ion–protein interactions, and specifically, strong ion–ion interactions equate to higher enzymatic activity if neither of the ions interact strongly with the protein surface. We further demonstrate a tendency for cations interacting with the protein surface to be least detrimental to enzymatic activity if they show a low polarizability when combined with small hydrophilic anions. We also find that the IL ion influence is not mitigated by the surplus of negatively charged residues of the halophilic enzyme. This is shown by free energy landscape analysis in root mean square deviation and distance variation plots of active site gating residues (Trp43 and His273) demonstrating no protection of specific structural elements relevant to preserving enzymatic activity. On the other hand, we observe a general effect across all IL systems that a tight binding of water at acidic residues is preferentially interrupted at these residues through the increased presence of potassium ions. Overall, this study demonstrates a co-ion interaction dependent influence on allosteric surface residues controlling the active/inactive conformation of halophilic alcohol dehydrogenase 2 and the necessity to engineer ionic liquid systems for enzymes that rely on the integrity of functional surface residues regardless of their halophilicity or thermophilicity for use in bioprocessing.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 9","pages":" 2559-2580"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d3su00412k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573506","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}