Maria Belen Ceretta, Sofia Antic Gorrazzi, Sebastian D’Ippolito, Julieta Mendieta, Debora Nercessian and Sebastian Bonanni
{"title":"Cannabis sativa biochar: characterization and preliminary application in plant growth and adsorption, and as an electrode material†","authors":"Maria Belen Ceretta, Sofia Antic Gorrazzi, Sebastian D’Ippolito, Julieta Mendieta, Debora Nercessian and Sebastian Bonanni","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00829D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00829D","url":null,"abstract":"<p > <em>Cannabis sativa</em> cultivation generates substantial solid residues and the growing demand for cannabis products, driven by the increasing number of countries and states legalizing its consumption, underscores the need for sustainable production practices that minimize environmental impact. Converting discarded cannabis biomass into biochar offers an eco-friendly waste management solution while producing a high-value product with diverse applications. Although the feasibility of these applications largely depends on the feedstock and pyrolysis conditions, studies on cannabis-derived biochar remain scarce. In this work, the impact of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of <em>C. sativa</em> biochar is investigated and the performance of biochar produced at different temperatures as a soil amendment, electrode material and contaminant adsorbent is assessed.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1932-1940"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00829d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761601","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}
Sarah Turnbull, Delphine Clauss, Vincent Martin, Jean-Pierre Magnin, Laetitia Dubau and Frédéric Maillard
{"title":"An aqua regia-free chemical recovery and reprecipitation of Ir from IrOx catalysts: optimisation of the extraction efficiency using surface response methodology†","authors":"Sarah Turnbull, Delphine Clauss, Vincent Martin, Jean-Pierre Magnin, Laetitia Dubau and Frédéric Maillard","doi":"10.1039/D5SU00038F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00038F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The widespread deployment of hydrogen is essential in the energy transition away from fossil fuels. There is an increasing demand for iridium (Ir) in the proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) industry, acting as the catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, Ir is one of the rarest platinum group metals (PGMs) and its recycling requires significant energy and has considerable environmental impacts. Therefore, developing an innovative energy-efficient recycling method is essential to enhance the use of Ir. This study focuses on the development of a microwave-assisted leaching protocol of Ir from a commercial iridium oxide (IrO<small><sub><em>x</em></sub></small>) catalyst and its reprecipitation in the form of a salt. A Box–Behnken optimisation of the Ir leaching efficiency was performed by varying the temperature (70–200 °C), chloride concentration ([Cl<small><sup>−</sup></small>]) (0–4 M) and hydrogen peroxide concentration ([H<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>2</sub></small>]) (0–3% v/v). An optimum of 91% extraction efficiency was predicted and then confirmed experimentally, achieving an Ir leaching efficiency of 83 ± 10%, which corresponds to an Ir mass extraction of 769 mg<small><sub>Ir</sub></small> g<small><sub>IrO<em><small><sub>x</sub></small></em></sub></small><small><sup>−1</sup></small>. The precipitation of the Ir leachate solution was then performed to obtain Ir in the form of ammonium hexachloroiridate ((NH<small><sub>4</sub></small>)<small><sub>2</sub></small>IrCl<small><sub>6</sub></small>) with 94.6% purity.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1741-1750"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d5su00038f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761628","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":"Synthetic routes and fields of application of isohexides: comprehensive perspective of relevant industrial compounds","authors":"Daria Armani","doi":"10.1039/D5SU00011D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00011D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Isohexides are a class of compounds that can be obtained from natural sources using simple processes, and have interesting properties. Among these, the intrinsic chirality of the rigid bicyclic structural cavity and the presence of two hydroxyl groups in positions 3 and 6, available for functional-group interconversion, appear the most interesting characteristics for real innovative applications. In this review, the strategies for the synthesis of isohexides from polysaccharides and biomasses of different complexities have been analyzed and the alternative processes to the traditional synthetic routes, in terms of sustainability, have been discussed. Secondly, the properties that make isosorbide the most suitable isohexide compound in terms of availability, stability and scalability for innovative production processes have been highlighted. The fields of application of these extremely interesting compounds have been investigated, proceeding with a discussion in which the areas of exploitation of isohexides are analyzed, in terms of their use as building blocks, chiral auxiliaries or constituents of chiral ionic liquids. Finally, the numerous applicative possibilities of isosorbide as a monomer or co-monomer of a wide range of polymeric materials of different natures, have been thoroughly investigated. This review represents a first investigation into the possible uses of isohexide-based compounds by analyzing the positive and negative aspects of their exploitation as ubiquitous alternatives to current oil-based intermediates. Certainly, future studies on the optimization of those production processes that occupy a large share of the chemical-product market will lead to the confirmation of the synthetic potential of compounds with an isohexidic structure.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 5","pages":" 2134-2148"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d5su00011d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918910","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}
Joseph C. Shirley, Kobiny Antony Rex, Hassan Iqbal, Christian G. Claudel and Carlos R. Baiz
{"title":"Microplastics in the rough: using data augmentation to identify plastics contaminated by water and plant matter†","authors":"Joseph C. Shirley, Kobiny Antony Rex, Hassan Iqbal, Christian G. Claudel and Carlos R. Baiz","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00612G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00612G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Microplastics are present in nearly all environments. The detection of microplastics in the field is an important step toward understanding and regulating the proliferation of plastic waste, particularly in natural environments. Real-time surveys require robust instruments, rapid acquisition, and minimal processing. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is an ideal technique to detect polymer composition regardless of spectral interference by water and/or organic matter. Here we report a fiber-based NIR instrument designed for simple and efficient spectral acquisition of consumer plastic particles across a range of sizes. Data augmentation with measured interferent spectra has been used to generate machine-learning based classification models that can identify polymer compositions in plastic particles that are wet and/or mixed in with organic plant material. These models achieve 98.5% accuracy on synthetic data and 86.4% accuracy when transferred to spectra of plastic particles of nine common polymers with particle sizes as small as 500 μm. Our model paves the way for the development of equipment to perform real-time surveys of microplastic compositions in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1886-1899"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00612g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761597","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}
Xueting Wang, Mayura Silva, Colleen Clarke, Bronson Lynn, Mark Robertson, Aidan J. Leopold, Oreoluwa Agede, Lilin He, Stephen Creager, Mark E. Roberts, Mark C. Thies and Eric M. Davis
{"title":"Superior proton conductivity and selectivity in sulfonated ionomer biocomposites containing renewably processed and fractionated lignin†","authors":"Xueting Wang, Mayura Silva, Colleen Clarke, Bronson Lynn, Mark Robertson, Aidan J. Leopold, Oreoluwa Agede, Lilin He, Stephen Creager, Mark E. Roberts, Mark C. Thies and Eric M. Davis","doi":"10.1039/D5SU00031A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00031A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Herein, we have synthesized high-performance, low-cost ionomer biocomposites comprised of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and softwood Kraft lignin. Specifically, SPEEK ionomer composites containing renewably processed and fractionated low and high molecular weight lignin, at concentrations ranging from 5–25 mass%, were synthesized. After fabrication, the water and ion transport properties, as well as the hydrated nanostructure, of the biocomposites were characterized. Most notably, our SPEEK–lignin composite membranes exhibited proton conductivities and proton selectivities that were two-fold and four-fold higher, respectively, than both neat SPEEK and the current benchmark ionomer for these applications, Nafion. In conjunction with ion exchange capacity and equilibrium water uptake data, as well as real-space imaging from electron microscopy, small-angle neutron scattering data suggested that the introduction of lignin increased the spacing between hydrophilic, ionic domains. As a proof of concept, the feasibility of these membranes as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) was assessed. In vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) tests, SPEEK–lignin membranes containing 15 mass% lignin exhibited performance (power density, discharge voltage) comparable to that of neat SPEEK membranes. This comparable performance underscores the promise of SPEEK–lignin biocomposites as PEMs for next-generation VRFBs.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 5","pages":" 2333-2351"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d5su00031a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918849","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}
Xuejiao Cao, Xuan Luo, Safira M. Barros, Wenjin Xing, Melanie MacGregor, Iliana Delcheva, Jonathan A. Campbell, Shan He, Bradley P. Kirk, Youhong Tang and Colin L. Raston
{"title":"Vortex fluidic-mediated transesterification enhancement of mongongo fatty acid ethyl ester production for haircare applications†","authors":"Xuejiao Cao, Xuan Luo, Safira M. Barros, Wenjin Xing, Melanie MacGregor, Iliana Delcheva, Jonathan A. Campbell, Shan He, Bradley P. Kirk, Youhong Tang and Colin L. Raston","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00763H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00763H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) are one of the most popular ingredients in the organic cosmetic market due to their versatile functionality. However, its production technique aligning with the principle of green chemistry and adhering to organic standards remains unexplored. This study investigated the use of the vortex fluidic device (VFD), a versatile thin-film processing device that can generate substantial mechanical energy within a rapidly rotating tube, to assist in the sustainable and efficient production of Mongongo FAEE. Using the VFD, a FAEE yield of 92.65% was achieved within 20 minutes of processing, 1.3 times more effective than that attained <em>via</em> bench-top methods. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (<small><sup>1</sup></small>H NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmed the preservation and elevated concentrations of polyunsaturated FAEE following VFD processing. Furthermore, Mongongo FAEE was investigated for its application in hair protection. In a custom hair styling simulation experiment, a comparative analysis of Mongongo oil with FAEE demonstrated that Mongongo FAEE exhibited superior coverage efficiency on the hair surface, masking 95% of sulphur and nitrogen from the hair surface. This results in reduction in pore size, improved surface integrity, enhanced gloss, and minimised cysteine oxidation of hair. In the sun protection test, the FAEE-treated hair demonstrates a uniform morphology after 8 hours of sunlight exposure. Overall, it has been shown that a high yield of Mongongo FAEE was effectively achieved <em>via</em> VFD processing, while also demonstrating the ability to use the product in haircare applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1909-1922"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00763h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761599","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}
D. Teja Nayak, Vinoth Kumar Raja, G. Arthanareeswaran, Tran Dang Khoa and Wirach Taweepreda
{"title":"A high-performance nanofiltration membrane synthesized by embedding amino acids and ionic liquids in cellulose acetate for heavy metal separation","authors":"D. Teja Nayak, Vinoth Kumar Raja, G. Arthanareeswaran, Tran Dang Khoa and Wirach Taweepreda","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00688G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00688G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Water reclamation is necessary to meet the potable water demand. Heavy metals such as iron, zinc, lead, and copper, particularly in water, pose significant toxicity risks to humans and other biological life. Over the last few years, the contamination level of these heavy metals in water and soils has increased alarmingly. Correspondingly, membrane systems have emerged as a prominent approach to water reclamation. In this study, cellulose acetate (CA) membranes incorporating amino acids (AAs) and ionic liquids (ILs) were fabricated using phase inversion technique and effectively utilized for metal separation. The characterizations of these membranes using FTIR, SEM, TGA, and DSC revealed the presence of various functional groups, changes in surface morphologies, and improvements in thermal stabilities due to AA–IL. The pure water flux (PWF) was increased to 98 L m<small><sup>−2</sup></small> h<small><sup>−1</sup></small> at 4 bar pressure owing to the enhancement of hydrophilicity. The rejection percentage of heavy metal ions for AA–IL (0.5%) incorporated CA membranes was 94%. The rejection rates for ions of the heavy metals copper, zinc, iron, and lead present in the industrial effluent were studied and found to be 89%, 91%, 84%, and 90%, respectively. The rejection capacity of the AA–IL (0.5) incorporated CA membrane was the highest for all the metals. The AA–IL incorporated CA membranes are efficient and effective for nanofiltration to treat heavy metal ion solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1966-1981"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00688g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761609","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}
Wen Zhou, Salvador Bertrán Llorens, Peter J. Deuss, Gert-Jan W. Euverink and Janneke Krooneman
{"title":"Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production by thermophilic Caldimonas thermodepolymerans comb. nov. from xylan†","authors":"Wen Zhou, Salvador Bertrán Llorens, Peter J. Deuss, Gert-Jan W. Euverink and Janneke Krooneman","doi":"10.1039/D5SU00040H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00040H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >For the future circular economy, renewable carbon feedstocks manifest considerable promise for synthesizing sustainable and biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). In this study, 16 wt% and 30 wt% PHA (cell dry weight) are respectively produced by thermophilic <em>Caldimonas thermodepolymerans</em> from beechwood xylan and wheat arabinoxylan as the sole carbon source. Moreover, an <em>in silico</em> study of the potential xylan-degrading proteins was conducted using proteome sequencing and CAZyme specialized bioinformatic tools. This study demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing complex polysaccharide substrates for PHA biosynthesis, thereby potentially eliminate additional processing steps and reducing overall production costs for sustainable plastic.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1685-1690"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d5su00040h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761620","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":"Chemical degradation and recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET): a review","authors":"Zhiqiang Guo, Jin Wu and Junhong Wang","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00658E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00658E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common plastics, which is mainly used in food packaging and textiles. In recent years, the massive use of PET has led to the destruction of the ecological environment, and it is necessary to develop green, low-cost, and efficient recycling technologies to alleviate such problems. In this paper, we summarized the advantages and disadvantages of chemical degradation of PET in the past decade, including alcoholysis, hydrolysis, aminolysis and pyrolysis. Among them, several new catalysts have been applied to the depolymerization of plastics, such as ionic liquids, eutectic solvents, metal–organic frameworks and polyoxometalate, which not only shorten the reaction time, but also increase the yield of the product and the conversion of PET. This review emphatically introduced the conversion of PET and the yield of the product under different parameters, and clarified the direction of future research on the chemical degradation of PET.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 5","pages":" 2111-2133"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00658e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918909","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}
Libby J. Marshall, Daniel J. Cheney, Jasmine A. Keith, Christopher Kelly, Frédéric Blanc, Andrew J. West and Dave J. Adams
{"title":"Preparation of thermally curable materials using lignin extracted from sawmill co-product†","authors":"Libby J. Marshall, Daniel J. Cheney, Jasmine A. Keith, Christopher Kelly, Frédéric Blanc, Andrew J. West and Dave J. Adams","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00767K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00767K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We have exemplified the chemical reactivity of a new commercially available organosolv-like lignin <em>via</em> reaction with various amines to form benzoxazine groups. The resulting benzoxazine-modified lignin has desirable thermal properties, making it an attractive alternative to non-renewable benzoxazine resins. The thermal properties of the lignin-benzoxazine products can be altered by increasing the number of benzoxazine groups within the lignin. This is achieved by increasing the number of unsubstituted phenol groups in the lignin prior to benzoxazine formation, thereby increasing the number of benzoxazine groups added to the lignin. We were ultimately able to form a curable system from phenolated lignin prepared from lignin extracted from low-value biomass using ultrasonic biorefinery technology <em>via</em> functionalisation with benzoxazine groups. The properties of the new lignin-based benzoxazines are compared to those of Kraft lignin (obtained from pulp) modified by the same chemical reactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1870-1885"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00767k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761596","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}