Renewable vegetable raw materials as a base for preparing versatile functional nanocomposites

A power-saving technology was developed for preparing functional nanocomposites from renewable vegetable raw materials and nanosized elements.     

Lignin utilization options and methods

Trends in use were explored for lignins which rank among the most abundant renewable organic resources and attract much interest due to their complex structure and suitability for diversified applications as determined by natural origin. A lignin production and processing technology was described.     

太阳能光催化制氢研究进展

随着人类社会的快速发展和传统能源的急剧消耗,能源紧缺和环境污染已经成为制约人类社会可持续发展的重要因素,构建清洁的环境友好的可再生新能源体系是当前各国高度关注的焦点和重大战略.在众多绿色环保、可持续新能源选项中,半导体光催化制氢因其可利用清洁可再生的太阳能制取高效清洁氢能,有望完全解决能源紧缺和环境污染问题,成为最有应用前景的技术之一. 本文通过概述半导体光催化制氢原理、半导体光电化学及光电稳定性、半导体光催化制氢效率,重点介绍半导体光催化剂、光生电荷分离及光催化制氢体系等方面若干新进展,并对太阳能光催化制氢技术的发展加以评述和展望.     

Methodology for evaluating the economics of biologically producing chemicals and materials from alternative feedstocks

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - A wide range of chemicals and materials can be produced from renewable feedstocks through bioconversions. An iterative, progressively detailed technology...     

Microfluidic Microalgae System: A Review

Microalgae that have recently captivated interest worldwide are a great source of renewable, sustainable and economical biofuels. The extensive potential application in the renewable energy, biopharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries have made them necessary resources for green energy. Microalgae can substitute liquid fossil fuels based on cost, renewability and environmental concern. Microfluidic-based systems outperform their competitors by executing many functions, such as sorting and analysing small volumes of samples (nanolitre to picolitre) with better sensitivities. In this review, we consider the developing uses of microfluidic technology on microalgal processes such as cell sorting, cultivation, harvesting and applications in biofuels and biosensing.     

储氢材料的研究进展

日益严峻的能源危机和环境污染,使得发展清洁的可再生能源成为世界各国的重要课题。氢能源以其可再生性和良好的环保效应成为未来最具发展潜力的能源载体,氢能被公认为人类未来的理想能源,而氢的储存是发展氢能技术的难点之一。介绍了各类材料的储氢功能特点和近年来几类主要储氢材料的研究进展,并指出了储氢材料的发展方向。     

A journey on the electrochemical road to sustainability

As the nations of the world continue to develop, their industrialization and growing populations will require increasing amounts of energy. Yet, global energy consumption, even at present levels, has already given rise to major concerns over the security of future supplies, together with the attendant twin problems of environmental degradation and climate change. Accordingly, countries are examining a whole range of new policies and technology issues to make their energy futures ??sustainable??, that is, to maintain economic growth and cultural values whilst providing energy security and environmental protection. A step in the right direction is to place electrochemical power sources??serviceable, efficient and clean technology??at the cutting edge of energy strategies, regardless of the relatively low price of such traditional fuels as coal, mineral oil and natural gas. Following a chronicle of the events that led up to the discovery of batteries and fuel cells, the paper discusses the application of these devices as important technology for shifting primary energy demand away from fossil fuels and towards renewable sources that are more abundant, less expensive and/or more environmentally benign. Finally, consideration is given to the idea of introducing hydrogen as the universal vector for conveying renewable forms of energy and also as the ultimate non-polluting fuel. Fuel cells are the key enabling technology for a hydrogen economy. As requested, the paper opens with a brief account of the circumstances by which the author joined others on a fascinating journey on the electrochemical road to sustainability.     

Recent Advances and Future Perspectives of Metal-Based Electrocatalysts for Overall Electrochemical Water Splitting

Recently, the growing demand for a renewable and sustainable fuel alternative is contingent on fuel cell technologies. Even though it is regarded as an environmentally sustainable method of generating fuel for immediate concerns, it must be enhanced to make it extraordinarily affordable, and environmentally sustainable. Hydrogen (H₂) synthesis by electrochemical water splitting (ECWS) is considered one of the foremost potential prospective methods for renewable energy output and H₂ society implementation. Existing massive H₂ output is mostly reliant on the steaming reformation of carbon fuels that yield CO₂ together with H₂ and is a finite resource. ECWS is a viable, efficient, and contamination-free method for H₂ evolution. Consequently, developing reliable and cost-effective technology for ECWS was a top priority for scientists around the globe. Utilizing renewable technologies to decrease total fuel utilization is crucial for H₂ evolution. Capturing and transforming the fuel from the ambient through various renewable solutions for water splitting (WS) could effectively reduce the need for additional electricity. ECWS is among the foremost potential prospective methods for renewable energy output and the achievement of a H₂-based economy. For the overall water splitting (OWS), several transition-metal-based polyfunctional metal catalysts for both cathode and anode have been synthesized. Furthermore, the essential to the widespread adoption of such technology is the development of reduced-price, super functional electrocatalysts to substitute those, depending on metals. Many metal-premised electrocatalysts for both the anode and cathode have been designed for the WS process. The attributes of H₂ and oxygen (O₂) dynamics interactions on the electrodes of water electrolysis cells and the fundamental techniques for evaluating the achievement of electrocatalysts are outlined in this paper. Special emphasis is paid to their fabrication, electrocatalytic performance, durability, and measures for enhancing their efficiency. In addition, prospective ideas on metal-based WS electrocatalysts based on existing problems are presented. It is anticipated that this review will offer a straight direction toward the engineering and construction of novel polyfunctional electrocatalysts encompassing superior efficiency in a suitable WS technique.     

废油脂催化转化制取生物柴油的研究

随着世界经济的发展,石化燃料已经不能满足世界经济发展的需要.以天然油脂为原料生产的生物柴油,作为一种可再生的清洁能源,目前已经受到世界各国的普遍关注.但是目前生产生物柴油使用最广泛的原料是纯菜籽油,生产成本较高,不具有与石化柴油竞争的能力.因此,本实验提出了利用餐     

Progress in Renewable Polymers from Natural Terpenes,Terpenoids, and Rosin

The development of sustainable renewable polymers from natural resources has increasingly gained attention from scientists, engineers as well as the general public and government agencies. This review covers recent progress in the field of renewable bio‐based monomers and polymers from natural resources: terpenes, terpenoids, and rosin, which are a class of hydrocarbon‐rich biomass with abundance and low cost, holding much potential for utilization as organic feedstocks for green plastics and composites. This review details polymerization and copolymerization of terpenes such as pinene, limonene, and myrcene and their derivatives, terpenoids including carvone and menthol, and rosin‐derived monomers. The future direction on the utilization of these natural resources is discussed.     

面对人类社会可持续发展的能源选择

经济增长和人类的可持续发展,需要廉价、可靠和环境友好的能源供给和利用。然而目前使用的主要能源,包括天然气、石油、煤炭、核能和可再生能源,以及它们的主要利用方式,并不能完全满足这种要求,现有能源系统的变革,以提高效率、消除污染物排放、减少单位能量温室气体的释放,是实现可持续发展的第一关键步骤．要真正实现可持续发展,必须在不断研究与发展的基础上,首先进行能源资源和利用技术的创新变革,以可再生资源为能源的燃料电池和氢经济,是满足可持续发展要求的零排放的能源技术中．最恰当的结合,煤炭由于其储量丰富、便宜、安全和使用期长,在这种转型过程中扮演着关键角色：煤气化与燃料电池技术和未来二氧化碳（CO2）的分离与储存技术的结合,可以实现零排放。煤炭利用技术也将提高可再生能源,特别是生物质和废弃物,在可持续能源中的比例和重要性。     

利用多功能、多用途的可再生甲酸实现化学品的绿色与可持续合成

近年来,随着化石资源日趋短缺以及由此带来的人类生存环境日益恶化,生物质等可再生资源的高效、可持续利用已成为各国科学家研究与关注的焦点。甲酸,生物精炼中的主要副产物之一,具备廉价易得、无毒、能量密度高以及可再生可降解等特性,将其应用于新能源利用与化学转化,不仅有助于甲酸应用领域的进一步拓展,还有助于解决面向未来的生物精炼技术中的一些共性瓶颈问题。本文简要回顾了甲酸利用的研究历史,总结了甲酸作为高效、多用途试剂与原料在化学品合成及生物质催化转化等方面的最新研究进展,并对利用甲酸活化来实现高效化学转化的基本原理及催化体系进行了对比分析,指出今后研究重点应着眼于努力提高甲酸的利用效率,同时实现高选择性合成两方面,并在此基础上进一步拓展其应用领域。在化学品合成方面,甲酸作为一种环境友好可再生的多功能试剂可应用于多种官能团的选择转化过程。作为一种高含氢量的氢转移试剂或还原剂,甲酸相较传统氢气具有操作简便可控、条件温和、具有良好化学选择性等优点,广泛应用于醛酮、硝基、亚胺、腈、炔烃、烯烃等的选择还原以制取相应的醇、胺、烯烃和烷烃类化合物,以及醇类和环氧化物的氢解和官能团去保护等过程。鉴于甲酸亦可用作C1原料,作为多用途的关键基础试剂甲酸还可应用于包括喹啉衍生物的还原甲酰化、胺类化合物甲酰化和甲基化,烯烃羰化以及炔烃还原水合等多级串联反应,是实现精细复杂有机分子高效简约绿色合成的重要途径。该类过程的挑战在于寻求对甲酸及特定官能团的可控活化兼具高选择性和高活性的多功能催化剂。此外,近期有研究表明以甲酸为C1原料还可通过催化歧化反应直接高选择性合成甲醇等大宗化学品。在生物质催化转化方面,甲酸的多功能特性为实现绿色、安全、高原子经济性生物精炼过程提供了潜在可能。生物质资源是储量最大、最具潜力的可持续替代资源,但将其转化为可利用的资源形式仍然面临挑战。甲酸的酸性质及良好溶剂特性可应用于生物质原料预处理过程,实现木质纤维素组分分离和纤维素提取,相较传统无机酸预处理体系具有沸点低、易分离、不引入无机离子、对下游反应兼容性强等优点;而作为高效氢源,甲酸也被广泛研究应用于生物质平台化合物选择催化转化制高附加值化学品、木质素降解制芳烃化合物和生物油加氢脱氧精制处理等过程,相较依赖H2的传统氢化过程具有转化效率高、反应条件温和,简便安全并可有效减少相关生物精炼过程中化石资源的物耗与能耗等优势。最新研究表明,通过在温和条件下甲酸水溶液中解聚氧化木质素,可得到重量比大于60%的低分子量芳烃溶液,这一创新性发现为从木质素中直接提取高值芳香化学物等化学品带来了新的机遇。综上所述,生物基甲酸在绿色有机合成和生物质转化等方面表现出巨大潜力,而其多功能性和多用途性对于实现原料的高效利用及目标产物的高选择性至关重要。该领域目前已取得了一定成果并得到了快速发展,然而距实际产业应用还有相当距离,需要进一步探索。今后的研究重点应着眼于以下几个方面：(1)如何针对特定反应优选合适的催化活性金属及反应体系;(2)如何在其他原料和试剂存在条件下高效、可控地活化甲酸;(3)如何从分子层面理解复杂反应的反应机制;(4)如何在相关过程中稳定相应催化剂。展望未来,基于现代社会对环境、经济和可持续发展的需求,甲酸化学将得到产业界与学术界越来越多的关注和研究。     

Ultralight,High Capacitance,Mechanically Strong Graphene-Cellulose Aerogels

With increasing energy demand driving the need for eco-friendly and efficient energy storage technology, supercapacitors are becoming increasingly prevalent in wearable devices because of their portability and stability. The performance of these supercapacitors is highly dependent on the choice of electrode material. The high capacitance and mechanical properties needed for these materials can be achieved by combining graphene’s stable electrical properties with renewable cellulose’s excellent mechanical properties into porous aerogels. In this study, graphene-cellulose hydrogels were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method, with porous, ultra-light, and mechanically strong graphene-cellulose aerogels then prepared by freeze-drying. These composite aerogels possess excellent mechanical strength and high specific capacitance, capable of bearing about 1095 times the pressure of their own weight. Electrochemical tests show the specific capacitance of these composite aerogels can reach 202 F/g at a scanning rate of 5 mA/cm². In view of their high surface area and fast charge transport provided by their 3D porous structure, graphene-cellulose aerogels have great potential as sustainable supercapacitor electrodes.     

Prospects and challenges of reactive processing

Chemical reactions during polymer melt processing afford a wide range of highly diversified polymers derived from well-known polymers. This technology, especially functionalization, grafting, in-situ formation of copolymers, segmented polymers, and compatibilizers, plays a key role in the development of novel thermoplastics including blends, composites, and polymers from renewable resources. Oxazolines are useful highly reactive and selective intermediates for polymer melt modification.     

Advances,opportunities, and challenges of hydrogen and oxygen production from seawater electrolysis: An electrocatalysis perspective

With increasing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the importance of developing renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels has become a vital global task. Hydrogen produced via water electrolysis powered by renewable energy systems at a large scale is an essential measure to reduce greenhouse gas and particulate emissions. Electrolysers use a substantial amount of water (mainly freshwater) to produce hydrogen and oxygen at the cathode, and anode, respectively. However, seawater is preferred because it is the most abundant water resource. Although many R&D efforts on seawater electrolysis have been carried out since the 1970s, the barriers are the undesired chlorine gas evolution reaction at the anode, and corrosion induced by chloride ions. Unlike the available data for electrocatalyst materials based upon platinum group metals in pure solutions, limited data is available for electrocatalysts in seawater. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis.     

Sustainability Evaluation of Immobilized Acid-Adapted Microalgal Technology in Acid Mine Drainage Remediation following Emergy and Carbon Footprint Analysis

Sustainability evaluation of wastewater treatment helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as it emphasizes the development of green technologies and optimum resource use rather than the end-of-pipe treatment. The conventional approaches for treating acid mine drainages (AMDs) are efficient; however, they need enormous amounts of energy, making them less sustainable and causing greater environmental concern. We recently demonstrated the potential of immobilized acid-adapted microalgal technology for AMD remediation. Here, this novel approach has been evaluated following emergy and carbon footprint analysis for its sustainability in AMD treatment. Our results showed that imported energy inputs contributed significantly (>90%) to the overall emergy and were much lower than in passive and active treatment systems. The microalgal treatment required 2–15 times more renewable inputs than the other two treatment systems. Additionally, the emergy indices indicated higher environmental loading ratio and lower per cent renewability, suggesting the need for adequate renewable inputs in the immobilized microalgal system. The emergy yield ratio for biodiesel production from the microalgal biomass after AMD treatment was >1.0, which indicates a better emergy return on total emergy spent. Based on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon footprint analysis (CFA), was performed using default emission factors, in accordance with the IPCC standards and the National Greenhouse Energy Reporting (NGER) program of Australia. Interestingly, CFA of acid-adapted microalgal technology revealed significant greenhouse gas emissions due to usage of various construction materials as per IPCC, while SCOPE 2 emissions from purchased electricity were evident as per NGER. Our findings indicate that the immobilized microalgal technology is highly sustainable in AMD treatment, and its potential could be realized further by including solar energy into the overall treatment system.     

水电解析氢低贵/非贵金属催化剂的研究进展

氢气作为能量载体的氢能技术由于其清洁性、高能量密度等优势已获得越来越多的青睐与关注. 其中,可持续的产氢技术是未来氢能经济发展的必要先决条件. 通过可再生资源电力驱动的电解水技术是支持氢能经济可持续发展的重要途径,高活性、低成本的析氢催化剂的开发利用是提高水电解技术效率并降低其成本的关键因素. 本文主要介绍了近年来包括低铂催化剂和金属硫化物、金属磷化物、金属硒化物等非铂过渡金属催化剂在析氢方面的研究进展,详细讨论了析氢反应的催化性能、合成方法以及结构?鄄催化性能的关系,最后总结展望了水电解低铂及非铂过渡金属催化剂在未来发展过程中所面临的机遇与挑战.     

Biotechnology for production of fuels,chemicals, and materials from biomass

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Biological systems can convert renewable resources, including lignocellulosic biomass, starch crops, and carbon dioxide, into fuels, chemicals, and...     

2D inorganic nanosheet-based hybrid photocatalysts: Design,applications, and perspectives

Highly anisotropic 2D nanosheets of inorganic solids with nanometer-level thickness attract a great deal of research activity because of their unique merits in exploring novel high performance photocatalysts applicable for environmental purification and production of renewable clean energy. The 2D inorganic nanosheets possess many valuable properties such as tailorable band structures and chemical compositions, large surface areas, well-defined defect-free surface structure, and tunable electrical conductivities. Due to these unique advantages of 2D inorganic nanosheets, these materials can be used as promising building blocks for hybrid-type photocatalysts with optimized band structures, expanded surface areas, improved charge separation behaviors, and enhanced reaction kinetics. Of prime importance is that unusually strong electronic coupling can occur between very thin 2D inorganic nanosheets and hybridized nanospecies, leading to the synergistic optimization of electronic and optical properties, and thus the remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity. Depending on the type of component nanosheets, diverse examples of inorganic nanosheet-based photocatalysts are presented along with the in-depth discussion about critical roles of inorganic nanosheet in these hybrid photocatalysts. Future perspectives in the researches for 2D inorganic nanosheet-based photocatalysts are discussed to offer useful directions for designing and synthesizing novel high performance photocatalysts applicable for renewable energy production and environmental purification.     

A Bio‐Inspired,Heavy‐Metal‐Free,Dual‐Electrolyte Liquid Battery towards Sustainable Energy Storage

Wide‐scale exploitation of renewable energy requires low‐cost efficient energy storage devices. The use of metal‐free, inexpensive redox‐active organic materials represents a promising direction for environmental‐friendly, cost‐effective sustainable energy storage. To this end, a liquid battery is designed using hydroquinone (H₂BQ) aqueous solution as catholyte and graphite in aprotic electrolyte as anode. The working potential can reach 3.4 V, with specific capacity of 395 mA h g⁻¹ and stable capacity retention about 99.7 % per cycle. Such high potential and capacity is achieved using only C, H and O atoms as building blocks for redox species, and the replacement of Li metal with graphite anode can circumvent potential safety issues. As H₂BQ can be extracted from biomass directly and its redox reaction mimics the bio‐electrochemical process of quinones in nature, using such a bio‐inspired organic compound in batteries enables access to greener and more sustainable energy‐storage technology.