Oxocarbon salts (M2(CO)n) prepared through one‐pot proton exchange reactions with different metal ions (M=Li, Na, K) and frameworks (n=4, 5, 6) have been rationally designed and used as electrodes in ...rechargeable Li, Na, and K‐ion batteries. The results show that M2(CO)5/M2(CO)6 salts can insert two or four metal ions reversibly, while M2(CO)4 shows less electrochemical activity. Especially, we discover that the K2C6O6 electrode enables ultrafast potassium‐ion insertion/extraction with 212 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C and 164 mA h g−1 at 10 C. This behavior can be ascribed to the natural semiconductor property of K2C6O6 with a narrow band gap close to 0.9 eV, the high ionic conductivity of the K‐ion electrolyte, and the facilitated K‐ion diffusion process. Moreover, a first example of a K‐ion battery with a rocking‐chair reaction mechanism of K2C6O6 as cathode and K4C6O6 as anode is introduced, displaying an operation voltage of 1.1 V and an energy density of 35 Wh kg−1. This work provides an interesting strategy for constructing rapid K‐ion batteries with renewable and abundant potassium materials.
Organic electrode material: Oxocarbon salts (M2(CO)n) with different metal ions (M=Li, Na, K) and frameworks (n=4, 5, 6) were rationally designed and used as electrodes for rechargeable Li, Na, and K‐ion batteries. A first example of a renewable and sustainable K‐ion battery based on K2C6O6 and K4C6O6 with a rocking‐chair reaction mechanism is shown.
The development of efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly energy storage systems plays a pivotal role in moving toward a more sustainable society. Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) have garnered ...considerable interest in grid energy storage applications because of the abundance of sodium, low cost, and suitable redox potential. However, NIB technology is still in its infancy, especially with regard to separators. Here we develop a novel separator based on renewable water-soluble cellulose derivatives. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) are cross-linked to afford large-specific-surface-area membranes upon nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS). Long-term galvanostatic cycling in a symmetric Na/Na cell configuration shows an impressive reversible voltage response with a square wave shape of the polarization even after 250 h of cycling, indicating remarkably stable Na plating and stripping with Na dendrite growth suppression. This novel membrane is evaluated as a separator in Na3V2(PO4)3/Na half-cells. After 10 cycles at C/10, the cellulosic separator delivers a capacity of 74 mA·h·g–1 with a 100% Coulombic efficiency compared to that of 61 mA·h·g–1 and 96% obtained for Whatman GF/D as a commercially available separator. Our work provides novel cues for the development of biomass-derived porous membranes to function as battery separators, surpassing the performance of commercially available separators based on fossil resources in terms of capacity retention, Coulombic efficiency, homogeneous plating/stripping of Na, and dendrite growth suppression. These separators, which may be extended to other battery systems, are expected to play a significant role in developing sustainable energy storage systems.
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•The various green routes applied for synthesizing NIPU precursors is reviewed.•Synthetic cyclic carbonates can be substituted with their bio-based equivalents.•Polyamines can be ...synthesized from their renewable analogous.•The challenges faced by industry to make use of NIPU materials are highlighted.
The synthesis of conventional polyurethanes (PUs) relies on isocyanate reactants as crucial starting materials. Toxicity, water-sensitivity and phosgene-based synthesis of isocyanates have made it necessary to undertake systematic and focused research to develop environment-friendly processes that use ecofriendly and non-hazardous materials. Among the numerous pathways that have been proposed, the reaction between cyclic carbonates and polyamines is shown to be the most promising route for the synthesis of non-isocyanates polyurethanes (NIPUs). The past decade has witnessed a consistent trend that seeks to take advantage of the vast reserve of renewable feedstocks such as vegetable oils, terpenes, lignin derivatives, and polyols as starting molecules for the synthesis of NIPU precursors. More recently, numerous strategies have come to the fore seeking to utilize the abovementioned renewable resources for the synthesis of NIPUs to meet the prerequisites of green chemistry. In this context, this review aims to shed light on recent progress that has been made in this direction. It also critically reviews the various green routes that have been pursued towards the synthesis of NIPU and their precursors to pave way for their applications in the PU industry. The challenges currently faced by industry in making use of these renewable (NIPUs and their precursors) materials into large-scale production is also highlighted.
The accumulation of petroleum polymers compromises biodiversity and causes environmental problems. Nanocellulose enhances biodegradability and can improve the physical-mechanical performance of ...materials. The objective was to produce and characterize hybrid films composed of bacterial cellulose (BC) and plant nanocellulose from
(Euc) or
(Pin). Films were produced by the casting method using filmogenic suspensions with different cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) proportions from both the sources (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %). CNFs suspensions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The morphology of the films was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the transparency, contact angle, wettability, oil and water vapor barrier and mechanical properties were also evaluated. The contact angles were smaller for films with BC and the wettability was greater when comparing BC with plant CNFs (0.10 °
for 75 % Euc/25 % BC and 0.20 °
for 25 % Euc/75 % BC). The water vapor permeability (WVP) of the 100 % BC films and the 25 % Euc/75 % BC composition were the highest among the studied compositions. Tensile strength, Young’s modulus and puncture strength decreased considerably with the addition of BC in the films. More studies regarding pre-treatments to purify BC are needed to improve the mechanical properties of the films.
•Cellulose is as a perfect sustainable material to replace traditional petro-based separators.•The physico-chemical properties of available cellulose derivatives are provided.•Their fabrication ...approaches to obtain porous cellulose membranes are shown.•Different cellulose derivates for battery separators are compared.•Recent efforts on solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) based on cellulose are presented.
There is a growing demand for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) fabricated with environmentally-friendly materials to transition toward a more sustainable society based on a circular economy. Battery separator, typically a porous petroleum-polymer, plays a pivotal role as it serves to efficiently transfer ions between electrodes while preventing electrical short-circuits. To reduce our dependence on fossil resources, cellulose and its derivatives are being used as sustainable battery separators thanks to its easily controllable porosity, suitable mechanical and thermal properties, non-toxicity and inherent hydrophilicity. Here we first present the structure, physico-chemical properties and various types of cellulose derivatives, as well as the different manufacturing approaches to obtain porous cellulose membranes. Further, the most recent developments in the field of cellulose and its derivates for lithium ion battery separators and solid polymer electrolytes are discussed. Finally, the main issues and properties to be improved in the near future concerning cellulosic separators are shown.
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Passive radiative technology enables sustainable cooling by synchronously emitting heat and reflecting solar light without any energy consumption. However, the consumption of non‐recyclable and ...non‐renewable radiative materials in large quantities may eventually cause resource waste and environmental issues. Herein, reconfigurable and renewable nano‐micro‐structured plastics for future eco‐friendly and large‐scale radiative cooling applications are developed. The plastics are facilely prepared from a locally confined polymerization method, which not only enables the customization of nano/micro‐structures for thermal emission and sunlight reflection but also provides physically cross‐linked networks for damage repairing, shape reconfiguration, and recyclable usage. Compared with traditional plastics applied on electronic devices, the nano‐micro‐structured plastic achieves much higher cooling efficiency with a temperature drop of 8.6 °C on electronic circuits and 7.5 °C cooling improvements under sunlight. With the excellent cooling performance and the recycling potential, the nano‐micro‐structured plastics open an environmentally sustainable pathway to address the thermal issues encountered by electronic devices and challenges of global warming.
Plastics with customizable nano‐micro structures are developed using a locally confined polymerization (LCP) method. They not only achieve radiative cooling and thermal management but also demonstrate the capacities including damage repairing, shape reconfiguration, and recyclable usage. This work provides a new horizon in terms of the nano‐micro structure design and function regulation for plastics.
Tremendous amounts of electric and electronic wastes (e-waste) are generated daily, and their indiscriminate disposal may cause serious environmental pollution. The recovery of non-metallic materials ...from e-waste is a strategy to not only reduce the volume of e-waste but also avoid pollutant emissions produced by indiscriminate disposal of e-waste. Pyrolysis, sub/supercritical water treatment, chemical dissolution, and physical treatment (e.g., ball milling, flotation, and electrostatic separation) are available methods to recover useable non-metallic materials (e.g., resins, fibers, and various kinds of polymers) from e-waste. The e-waste-derived materials can be used to manufacture a large variety of industrial and consumer products. In this regard, this work attempts to compile relevant knowledge on the technologies that derive utilizable materials from different classes of e-waste. Moreover, this work highlights the potential of the e-waste-derived materials for various applications. Current challenges and perspectives on e-waste upcycling to useable materials are also discussed.
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•Non-metallic portion of e-waste is valuable resources of useable materials.•The kinds and properties of useable materials depend mainly on the types of e-waste.•The useable materials recovered form e-waste can be used in various applications.•Enhancing the significance of materials recovered from non-metallic e-waste was hoped.•Practical use of e-waste for producing useable materials still requires more research.
•A large quantity of reclaimed asphalt pavement is producing every year.•RAP in the asphalt mixes is not used directly.•It is important to use agents that restore the original properties of aged ...asphalt.•Two types of natural renewable oils as a modifier on the properties of neat asphalt and asphalt mixes containing RAP were used.•Asphalt mixes with sunflower and soybean oil-modified asphalt are characterized by improved low-temperature cracks, resistance to moisture susceptibility, and permanent deformation.
Over the years, there has been a significant production of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) from asphalt pavement maintenance and rehabilitation processes. This material is typically thrown away and has negative impacts on the environment. However, it can be reused for pavement construction, but it is crucial to use agents that restore its original properties. This study evaluates the impact of two natural renewable oils, sunflower, and soybean, on the properties of neat asphalt and asphalt mixtures that contain RAP. The optimal amount used was 5%. The results show that sunflower and soybean oils are effective in rejuvenating aged asphalt in RAP mixtures by softening the aged binder. As a result, the modified asphalt mixtures exhibit improved resistance to low-temperature cracks, moisture susceptibility, and permanent deformation.
Recently, lactic acid production from renewable materials has gained enormous attention due to the several functional properties it offers in different fields. The high yield productivity of lactic ...acid by utilizing economical and easily available substrates has received immense attraction in the petrochemical industry. Biomass or waste materials from various sources have become a significant concern because they cause severe environmental pollution if disposed of improperly. Hence, the employment of an integrated biorefinery platform for waste materials is an ideal option to produce high-value bio-products while remediating the waste. Optical pure lactic acid production through fermentation has gained interest due to its high potential applications in food, pharmaceutical, textiles, and cosmetic industries as well as highly promising packaging materials. The manufacturing of biodegradable bioplastic from polylactic acid materials is a green alternative to that derived from petrochemicals. However, high manufacturing costs have impeded the widespread application of polylactic acid due to the high cost of lactic acid production. This review paper summarizes the most recent advancements and challenges in pure lactic acid production from various substrates and conventional processes, including pretreatment and enzymes hydrolysis and fermentative technologies. Moreover, a detailed analysis of the techno-economic feasibility, downstream processing, and lactic acid purification techniques are also discussed.
•Lactic acid (LA) production from low-cost renewable materials and its functional properties in different fields.•Recent advancements, challenges, and conventional processes of pure lactic acid production from various substrates.•Effects of important parameters on lactic acid concentration and productivity.•Techno-economic assessment of LA production from low-cost substrates at a commercial level.
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