RSC sustainability最新文献

{"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":null,"pages":null},"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":null,"pages":null},"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":"Carbon fibers derived from environmentally benign, ethanol-fractionated corn-stover lignin†","authors":"Sagar V. Kanhere, Bronson Lynn, Mark C. Thies and Amod A. Ogale","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00138A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00138A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Corn stover (CS), the non-grain portion of corn, is among the top three agricultural residues produced globally and the largest in the U.S. CS comprises 75% of all agricultural residues in the U.S. and is an excellent non-food source of sustainable biomass. However, studies of its conversion into carbon fibers are scarce because lignin derived from CS does not possess the needed purity and molecular weight (MW) for precursor fiber spinning and final carbon-fiber properties. Through application of our Aqueous Lignin Purification with Hot Agents (ALPHA) process aqueous ethanol was used to simultaneously clean and fractionate corn-stover lignin to produce a liquefied precursor. Fractionation enabled higher MW components to be used for successful dry-spinning of thin CS precursor fibers. Furthermore, the higher MW also increased glass transition temperature of the precursor lignin, which reduced stabilization time to 9 hours, an impressive four-fold improvement as compared to prior studies using unfractionated corn-stover lignins. Carbon fibers from higher MW lignin fractions displayed a tensile strength of 1.0 ± 0.1 GPa, double that of previous carbon fibers derived from corn-stover lignin. These carbon fibers possess a specific modulus of 48 GPa (g<small>⁻¹</small> cm<small>³</small>), about 50% greater than that of glass fibers, establishing their novelty as a low-cost reinforcing material suitable for potential applications such as ultrahigh temperature thermal insulation, electrostatic dissipation, and ablative composites.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00138a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573505","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":"Sustainable food packaging using modified kombucha-derived bacterial cellulose nanofillers in biodegradable polymers†","authors":"Mikhail Koreshkov, Yuuki Takatsuna, Alexander Bismarck, Ines Fritz, Erik Reimhult and Ronald Zirbs","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00168K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00168K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Incorporating nanoscale filler materials into polymers usually enhances mechanical properties, alters barrier characteristics, and enhances the visual appeal of consumer polymers. The growing recognition of the imperative to shift away from fossil-based, non-biodegradable polymers in single-use plastics and packaging materials toward fully renewable, recyclable, and/or biodegradable alternatives like PLA or PHBV has underscored the urgent need for the development of new, cost-effective, and scalable filler materials. Here, we demonstrate that the utilization of simple oligo-lactic acid modified bacterial cellulose (OLLA-g-BC) enhances the overall properties of commercial PLA and PHBV to a degree where it can directly compete with established conventional food packaging polymers. The key factor driving this enhancement lies in the uniform dispersion of the nanofiller throughout the bulk polymer, as visualized and confirmed through innovative 3D serial block face SEM analysis. The addition of 5% OLLA-g-BC increased the biodegradation rate of the nanocomposites without compromising their mechanical performance, leading to a ∼12% increase in Young's modulus for PLLA and a ∼14% decrease for PHBV. Filler incorporation resulted in a ∼23% and ∼45% decrease in oxygen permeability for PLLA and PHBV, respectively, while a ∼12% increase in water vapor permeability was observed for PLLA. Intensive investigations into the performance of nanocomposites clearly indicate that OLLA-grafted bacterial cellulose compound materials could significantly contribute to the realization of a fully circular, zero-waste economy.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00168k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573507","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":null,"pages":null},"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}

{"title":"Outstanding Reviewers for RSC Sustainability in 2023","authors":"","doi":"10.1039/D4SU90026J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU90026J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of <em>RSC Sustainability</em>’s reviewers for helping to preserve quality and integrity in chemical science literature. We would also like to highlight the Outstanding Reviewers for <em>RSC Sustainability</em> in 2023.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su90026j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141546964","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":"Visible light-induced bromine radical enhanced hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions in organic synthesis","authors":"Barakha Saxena, Roshan I. Patel and Anuj Sharma","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00214H","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00214H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions have gained prominence in organic synthesis for providing a straightforward approach towards C–H bond activation for the formation of C-centered radical intermediates. However, halogen radical-assisted hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions have become an interesting tool for C–H bond activation, facilitating the formation of C–C and C–X bonds. In particular, the bromine radical (Br˙) has garnered attention because of its remarkable capability as a hydrogen acceptor, which abstracts an H-atom from a C–H bond and generates a C-centered radical intermediate. Typically, transition metal- and organo-photocatalysts are commonly used to generate a bromine radical (Br˙) from a bromine anion (Br<small>⁻</small>). This newly generated bromine radical (Br˙) is useful in several organic transformations <em>via</em> C–H bond activation. In this review, we provide recent updates on bromine radical (Br˙) assisted hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions with their scope, mechanism, and limitations.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00214h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141528430","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":"Ionic-liquid-processed keratin-based biocomposite films with cellulose and chitin for sustainable dye removal†","authors":"Cariny Polesca, Helena Passos, Pedro Y. S. Nakasu, João A. P. Coutinho, Mara G. Freire and Jason P. Hallett","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00179F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00179F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Poultry is a widely consumed meat worldwide; however, its industrial processing generates a significant amount of feather waste. Since the major component of chicken feathers is keratin (90 wt%), this study focused on using acetate-based ionic liquids (ILs) to fully dissolve chicken feathers and recover keratin, using a sustainable and cost-effective approach, ultimately allowing waste valorisation. The recovered keratin was processed into films, either pure or blended with cellulose and α-chitin, aiming to develop a structural polymer biocomposite with improved mechanical properties. Experimental parameters were evaluated using different blend ratios, altering the pH, and adding glycerol as a plasticiser. Physico-chemical analysis revealed that all films exhibited hydrophilic behaviour and are stable up to 160 °C. Furthermore, the tensile strength of the keratin-based films significantly increased by adding chitin (achieving up to 66 MPa). Considering the growing significance of biopolymer-based films in wastewater treatment applications, the keratin-based films were evaluated as adsorbents for dye removal. Reactive Blue 4 (RB4) was used as a model dye, and the adsorption kinetics and isotherms were investigated. Between the studied films, the maximum adsorption capacity (55.7 mg g<small>⁻¹</small>) was obtained for the keratin film, emphasising the potential of this biomaterial in wastewater treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00179f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141528431","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":"Pressure-dependent CO2 thermolysis on barium titanate nanocatalysts†","authors":"Smita Takawane, Masatoshi Miyamoto, Takumi Watanabe and Tomonori Ohba","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00253A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00253A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Rising CO<small>₂</small> levels pose a significant threat to global warming, extreme weather events, and ecosystem disruption. Mitigating these effects requires a reduction in CO<small>₂</small> concentration using innovative technologies for CO<small>₂</small> capture, storage, and utilization. Perovskite-type barium titanate nanocatalysts have the potential for high CO<small>₂</small> conversion into valuable solid carbon products at low temperatures. In this study, we investigated the pressure-dependent CO<small>₂</small> conversion activity of barium titanate nanocatalysts at 700 K. A key focus of this study is the impact of pressure on the interaction between CO<small>₂</small> molecules and barium titanate nanocatalysts to evaluate the CO<small>₂</small> conversion mechanism. The primary structures of the nanocatalysts remained unchanged after CO<small>₂</small> thermolysis, whereas carbon was deposited on the nanocatalysts above 0.05 MPa. The reactant carbons after CO<small>₂</small> conversion at various pressures between 0.01 and 1.0 MPa at 700 K were evaluated by temperature-programmed desorption in an O<small>₂</small> atmosphere. The desorption peaks observed at approximately 500 K, 800–900 K, and 900–1300 K were the results of desorption of chemisorbed CO<small>₂</small>, less- and high-crystalline graphitic carbons. Chemisorbed CO<small>₂</small> and less-crystalline graphitic carbon were observed at 0.05 MPa. Highly crystalline graphitic carbons were observed on the nanocatalysts after CO<small>₂</small> thermolysis at 0.1–1.0 MPa as well as chemisorbed CO<small>₂</small>, although the amount of carbon at 1.0 MPa was smaller than the others. Therefore, the approach of CO<small>₂</small> thermolysis at a low temperature of 700 K and 0.1–0.5 MPa is promising for producing valuable solid carbon products and mitigating the environmental impact of CO<small>₂</small> emissions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00253a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141509871","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":"Unlocking sustainable power: advances in aqueous processing and water-soluble binders for NMC cathodes in high-voltage Li-ion batteries","authors":"Ana Clara Rolandi, Iratxe de Meatza, Nerea Casado, Maria Forsyth, David Mecerreyes and Cristina Pozo-Gonzalo","doi":"10.1039/D4SU00098F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4SU00098F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Current cathode electrode processing of lithium-ion batteries relies on the conventional use of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a binder, accompanied by the toxic solvent <em>N</em>-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Within cathode materials, the LiNi<small>_<em>x</em></small>Mn<small>_{1−<em>x</em>−<em>y</em>}</small>Co<small>_<em>y</em></small>O<small>₂</small> (NMC) families stand out as most promising candidates for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, boasting high energy density and capacity. This review extensively compares traditional battery manufacturing methods with the use of emerging waterborne binders, highlighting the benefits in terms of cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and enhanced processing conditions. The transition to sustainable aqueous processing encounters challenges, including pH elevation, aluminium collector corrosion, and lithium leaching from the NMC materials. The exploration extends to tailored binder selection and additives, crucial in optimizing electrochemical properties for distinct NMC compositions, such as LiNi<small>_0.33</small>Mn<small>_0.33</small>Co<small>_0.33</small>O<small>₂</small> (NMC 111), LiNi<small>_0.5</small>Mn<small>_0.3</small>Co<small>_0.2</small>O<small>₂</small> (NMC 532), LiNi<small>_0.6</small>Mn<small>_0.2</small>Co<small>_0.2</small>O<small>₂</small> (NMC 622) and LiNi<small>_0.8</small>Mn<small>_0.1</small>Co<small>_0.1</small>O<small>₂</small> (NMC 811), and addressing challenges inherent in their aqueous processing. The integration of aqueous binders promises advancements and also shapes a strategic outlook for future research, contributing significantly to the sustainability of lithium-ion batteries.</p>","PeriodicalId":74745,"journal":{"name":"RSC sustainability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/su/d4su00098f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141509915","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}