RSC sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Direct air capture (DAC): molten carbonate direct transformation of airborne CO2 to durable, useful carbon nanotubes and nano-onions†","authors":"Gad Licht, Ethan Peltier, Simon Gee and Stuart Licht","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00679H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00679H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study introduces the concept and first demonstration of an effective molten carbonate chemistry for Direct Air Capture (DAC). Molten carbonate electrolysis is a high-temperature decarbonization process within Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) that transforms chemistry transforming flue gas CO<small>₂</small> into carbon nanotubes and carbon nano-onions. The key challenge for molten carbonate DAC is to split air's 0.04% CO<small>₂</small> without heating the remaining 99.6%. This is accomplished by integrating a diffusive, insulating membrane over an electrolyte with a high affinity for CO<small>₂</small>.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1339-1345"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00679h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553548","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":"Comparative analysis of Calotropis procera and Ceiba pentandra fibre-based filters used to separate oil from emulsified effluent","authors":"Chandra Jeet Singh, Samrat Mukhopadhyay, Raju Seenivasan Rengasamy, Mayuri Srivastava and Ranjna Kumari","doi":"10.1039/D5SU00068H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00068H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This research compared the filters made of kapok and milkweed fibres, which separated 5 μm and 2 μm droplets from oily wastewater with 5% oil concentration. Kapok and milkweed fibre coalescence filters were constructed with varying porosity and bed heights, specifically 10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm. The emulsion was pumped at a rate of 2 mL min<small>⁻¹</small> through the filter column by a peristaltic pump. Methods employed in calculating oil concentration, oil droplet size, oil saturation, experimental calculations, and other tests were conducted. This research contributes to the development of efficient filtration materials by comparing kapok and milkweed fibres for separating oily wastewater droplets. A key quantitative finding is that the milkweed fibre filter achieved a higher separation efficiency of 93%, compared to 89.6% for the kapok fibre filter, at a bed height of 30 mm and 0.98 porosity. According to the study, milkweed fibre beds had a lower oil saturation than kapok fibre filters. As the number of filter cycles increases, the oil saturation in the bed decreases significantly.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1751-1761"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d5su00068h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761625","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":"Activated carbon derived from rice husks enhanced by methylene blue and gamma irradiation for supercapacitor applications†","authors":"Thannithi Anusonthiwong, Natavoranun Suwatanapongched, Jittiyada Surawattanawiset, Nattamon Chittreisin, Somlak Ittisanronnachai, Tanagorn Sangtawesin and Suranan Anantachaisilp","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00701H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00701H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Electrodes for supercapacitors were developed from activated carbon (GAC) derived from glutinous rice husk (GRH). The production of GAC involved the chemical activation of GRH with potassium hydroxide (KOH), followed by carbonization at 800 °C for 2 hours under a N<small>₂</small> atmosphere. The pseudocapacitive effects of the GAC were enhanced through N/S doping by adsorption of methylene blue, followed by post-treatment. Two post-treatment methods were employed in this study: gamma irradiation at doses of 25 kGy (GAC-25), 50 kGy (GAC-50), and 100 kGy (GAC-100), and hydrothermal treatment (GAC-Hdt). Among all samples, GAC-25 exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 127.9 F g<small>⁻¹</small> at 0.5 A g<small>⁻¹</small>, an 84.8% enhancement compared to GAC alone, attributed to pseudocapacitive effects. GAC-25 shows pseudocapacitor behavior, while GAC-Hdt shows EDLC characteristics at an increased scan rate. GAC-Hdt possessed a specific capacitance value of 0.5 A g<small>⁻¹</small>, about four-fold higher than that of GAC-25, due to its larger specific surface area of 1846 m<small>²</small> g<small>⁻¹</small>. These results highlight the potential use of gamma irradiation as an alternative post-treatment method for developing supercapacitor electrodes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1507-1515"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00701h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553588","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":"Phosphorus recovery from animal manures through pyrolysis: phosphorus transformations, release mechanisms, and applications of manure biochars in agriculture","authors":"Jesper T. N. Knijnenburg, Siraprapa Suwanree, Duncan Macquarrie, Pornnapa Kasemsiri and Kaewta Jetsrisuparb","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00524D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00524D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Phosphorus (P) is a vital element to enhance crop growth, but the excessive application of water-soluble P fertilizers has led to dwindling global P resources and elevated P levels in surface and ground waters. At the same time, high levels of P are excreted by livestock and poultry industries. These animal manures present an attractive source of secondary P, but the direct application of manures to farmlands may cause issues with P losses and environmental and health risks. To overcome this, pyrolysis (the thermal conversion of a biomass in oxygen-poor conditions) has been used in some situations without a full understanding of the impacts of the pyrolysis process on P forms and availability in the manure. This article critically reviews the use of pyrolysis to recover P from three types of animal manures (cow, swine, and poultry) in the form of biochars for applications in agriculture. Specific emphasis is paid to the P species in manures and their transformations during the pyrolysis process with the help of spectroscopic techniques (<em>e.g.</em>, <small>³¹</small>P NMR and XANES) and P fractionation schemes. The P concentrations, species, and availability are highly dependent on manure composition and especially pyrolysis conditions. During pyrolysis, the P is concentrated in the solid phase (biochar) and transformed into more inorganic (orthophosphate) and more crystalline forms as the pyrolysis temperature increases. Higher pyrolysis temperatures reduce the P extractability, which lowers the risk for P losses but may also affect plant P uptake. Strategies to modify P availability are presented and critical perspectives are given on the risks and limitations of manure-derived biochar application in agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1084-1101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00524d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553688","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":"Finding suitable biobased solvents for extractions from water†","authors":"Gerhard König, Pascal Hauk and Fabrice Gallou","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00628C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00628C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Solvent usage is one of the most critical factors for the carbon footprint of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, finding suitable green solvents that can be sourced from biomass is necessary for more sustainable manufacturing processes. One of the greenest solvents is water, and chemical transformations in aqueous solution play an increasingly important role. To guide the search for suitable green solvents for extractions from aqueous solution, eleven biobased solvents were systematically evaluated with 132 absolute free energy calculations based on 1728 molecular dynamics simulations. These kinds of calculations are used in modern computer-aided drug discovery for protein–ligand binding because of their high accuracy and the ability to account for dynamic changes of heterogenous nanostructures. Based on the calculations, 1-butanol and cyclopentanol are recommended for extractions of hydrophilic molecules with a decadic logarithm of the partition coefficient between 1-octanol and water (log <em>P</em>) below 0.5, while cyclopentyl methyl ether and butyl methyl ether are recommended for hydrophobic solutes with log <em>P</em> &gt; 2.6. Ethyl acetate and 1-pentanol are suitable for solutes in the mid-range. These findings are verified based on experimental extraction efficiencies from an aqueous solution in a micelle-enabled cross-coupling transformation. The extraction yields confirm the computational results, and also show that only the six most hydrophilic solvents lead to a clear phase separation in the presence of residual organic solvents and surfactants. This highlights that aqueous micellar media require special extraction solvents. Overall, both molecular level insight and practical considerations are needed for the selection of suitable green solvents.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1539-1549"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00628c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553591","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":"Reusability studies with Lewis and Brønsted acid catalysts for dehydration of the primary alcohol 1-hexanol under energy-saving conditions†","authors":"Adil Allahverdiyev and Harald Gröger","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00642A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00642A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In general, currently there is an urgent need to switch from fossil-based materials to renewable resources and this is also the case for production of alkenes with a chain length of up to C<small>₆</small> due to their broad application range as bulk chemicals. For instance, such C<small>₆</small> alkenes (hexenes) are accessible from 1-hexanol, for which recently a sustainable technical approach based on CO<small>₂</small> and water as renewable raw materials was reported by Siemens and Evonik Industries, making use of artificial photosynthesis in combination with microbial syngas fermentation. In continuation of our very recent comprehensive study on dehydration of 1-hexanol and other alcohols with a focus on Lewis acids and initial reusability studies over a few reaction cycles, the current study presents a simplified strategy for the reuse of the Lewis acid catalysts Cu(OTf)<small>₂</small> and Hf(OTf)<small>₄</small> and the Brønsted acid TfOH as well as a proof-of-concept for efficient recycling over 20 cycles. Over the course of the study, the catalysts demonstrated an average alkene yield of 71–77%, with no loss of activity. The production costs were calculated on the basis of industry-appropriate prices, with the lowest being 0.34 $ per kg. A successful initial lab scale-up with a 100-fold increase in reaction volume indicates a TRL4 for the developed process and enabled a product formation of 1.3 kg. Thus, these studies underline the technical feasibility of the developed dehydration process using 1-hexanol, for which catalyst recycling represents a key criterion.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 4","pages":" 1923-1931"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00642a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761600","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":"Using ultrasonic oil–water nano-emulsions to purify lithium-ion battery black mass†","authors":"Chunhong Lei, Karl S. Ryder, Andrew P. Abbott and Jake M. Yang","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00771A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00771A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Long-loop recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries is neither sustainable nor economical at scale. In the absence of design-to-recycle initiatives taken up by cell manufacturers, even for batteries produced today, all-in-one shredding processes are the only practical option to achieve circularity of critical materials. Shredding lithium-ion batteries ultimately produces ‘black mass’ – a low-value commodity comprising a mixture of graphite from the anode and lithium metal oxides from the cathode. Recovery of valuable metals such as cobalt and nickel from black mass using energy-intensive pyro- and hydro-metallurgy processes inevitably destroys the crystalline structure of lithium metal oxides and thus requires further resynthesis of battery material upon isolation and purification. This study presents an efficient process for direct separation of graphite and lithium metal oxides from numerous sources of black mass by utilizing a meta-stable oil-in-water emulsion. The purification of black mass is facilitated by one minute of high-power ultrasonic agitation followed by sieve separation, whereby the ultrasonic process enabling purification requires <em>ca.</em> 1% of the energy for heat removal of the binder. The separation exploits the disparity in hydrophobicity between graphite and lithium metal oxides, with ultrasonic energy enhancing the efficacy of the process to allow separation of cathode and anode counterparts with purity as high as 96% within minutes of operation. This innovative approach offers a promising solution for short-loop recycling of lithium-ion battery black mass.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1516-1523"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00771a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553589","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":"Examining the effect of manganese distribution on alcohol production in CoMn/TiO2 FTS catalysts†","authors":"Jay M. Pritchard, Matthew Lindley, Danial Farooq, Urvashi Vyas, Sarah J. Haigh, James Paterson, Mark Peacock and Andrew M. Beale","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00746H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00746H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Mn-doped Co<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small> supported on TiO<small>₂</small> is a well-known Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) catalyst. It has been shown that when the Mn doping exceeds 3 wt%, CO conversion drops and the product selectivity to alcohols and olefins increases dramatically. Here we examine the effect of the preparation method to determine how the proximity of the Mn in the as-prepared catalyst affects FTS performance. Three preparation procedures were examined: preparation of Mn doped Co(Mn)<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small> mixed oxides, surface doping of Co<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small> with Mn<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small> and a physical mixture of the two spinels. Characterisation studies including XRD, XPS and STEM-EDS, of the as-synthesised materials confirmed the successful preparation of spinel materials with crystallite sizes ∼20 nm. Surface enrichment of Mn on Co<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small> was seen in the as-prepared surface doped samples but not in the mixed oxide ones. STEM EDS studies revealed that after reduction Mn oxide had migrated to the surface in the mixed oxide samples similar to the surface doped samples. Subsequently, similar CO conversion and product selectivity was observed in both types of sample. However, unlike the surface doped and mixed oxide catalysts, the physically mixed oxide samples did not yield alcohols and olefins, although enhanced CO conversion was observed for the 3% physical mix. The results highlight the prevalence and importance of the effects of surface Mn doping on the Co speciation which leads to enhanced alcohol/olefin selectivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1376-1387"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00746h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553577","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":"Afterglow quenching in plasma-based dry reforming of methane: a detailed analysis of the post-plasma chemistry via kinetic modelling†","authors":"Joachim Slaets, Eduardo Morais and Annemie Bogaerts","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00676C","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00676C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We have developed a kinetic model to investigate the post-plasma (afterglow) chemistry of dry reforming of methane (DRM) in warm plasmas with varying CO<small>₂</small>/CH<small>₄</small> ratios. We used two methods to study the effects of plasma temperature and afterglow quenching on the CO<small>₂</small> and CH<small>₄</small> conversion and product selectivity. First, quenching <em>via</em> conductive cooling is shown to be unimportant for mixtures with 30/70 and 50/50 CO<small>₂</small>/CH<small>₄</small> ratios, while it affects mixtures containing excess CO<small>₂</small> (70/30) by influencing radical recombination towards CO<small>₂</small>, H<small>₂</small> and H<small>₂</small>O, as well as the water gas shift reaction, decreasing the CO<small>₂</small> conversion throughout the afterglow. This is accompanied by shifts in product distribution, from CO and H<small>₂</small>O to CO<small>₂</small> and H<small>₂</small>, and the magnitude of this effect depends on a combination of plasma temperature and quenching rate. Second and more importantly, quenching <em>via</em> post-plasma mixing of the hot plasma effluent with fresh cold gas yields a significant improvement in conversion according to our model, with 258% and 301% extra conversion for CO<small>₂</small> and CH<small>₄</small>, respectively. This is accompanied by small changes in product selectivity, which are the result of interrupted reaction pathways at lower gas temperatures in the afterglow. Effectively, the post-plasma mixing can function as a heat recovery system, significantly lowering the energy cost through the additional conversion ensued. With this approach, our model predicts that energy consumption can be lowered by nearly 80% in comparison to DRM under the same plasma conditions without mixing.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1477-1493"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783141/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143082534","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":"Optimizing nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery: insights from compartmental modeling via the CompSafeNano cloud platform","authors":"Periklis Tsiros, Nikolaos Chimarios, Dimitrios Zouraris, Andreas Tsoumanis, Haralambos Sarimveis, Georgia Melagraki, Iseult Lynch and Antreas Afantitis","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00686K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00686K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The deployment of nanoparticles (NPs) for targeted drug delivery <em>in vivo</em> holds immense potential for enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic side effects. However, the complexity of biological environments, including the biological barriers that need to be crossed for effective systemic delivery, presents significant challenges in optimizing NP delivery. This study demonstrates how a simple compartmental model facilitates the simulation and analysis of NP-mediated drug delivery, supporting targeted delivery optimization. The model involves reversible transport between five compartments related to drug delivery (administration site, off-target sites, target cell vicinity, target cell interior and excreta) that determine NP dynamics, including biodistribution, degradation, and excretion processes. This approach enables the estimation of delivery efficiency and the identification of critical factors affecting NP delivery through sensitivity analysis. A case study involving PEG-coated gold NPs delivered intravenously to the lungs demonstrates the model's capacity to describe observed biodistribution patterns and highlights key parameters influencing delivery outcomes. The model is exposed as a web application that provides a user-friendly graphical interface, enabling researchers to conduct <em>in silico</em> experiments with the goal of optimizing delivery strategies, thereby accelerating the development of precision nanomedicine. The model is made available both as a web application, <em>via</em> the Enalos Cloud Platform, and as a RESTful aaplication programming interface (API), providing a user-friendly graphical interface and programmatic access, respectively, enabling researchers to integrate the model into their own computational workflows. This study illustrates how simple compartmental modelling can be employed to guide the development of targeted drug delivery systems, contributing to more effective and personalized healthcare interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":" 3","pages":" 1494-1506"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/su/d4su00686k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553587","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}