Themed collection UN Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action

Waste-derived biochar electrodes enhance microbial electrosynthesis by improving electron transfer, sustainability and scalability, offering a cost-effective route for CO₂ conversion into biochemicals and supporting circular economy goals.

New regulation has banned some industrial uses of methylene chloride (dichloromethane, DCM) in the USA. What are the alternatives?

The overarching goal of global energy decarbonization, envisioned to combat climate change, should be coupled with material defossilization, which is just as crucial to target waste accumulation and fossil fuel depletion.

Pollution from contaminants of emerging concern is a multifaceted issue that can only be effectively addressed with the equitable inclusion of all stakeholders and their diverse knowledge systems.

Safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) is a pre-market approach that integrates innovation with safety and sustainability along the entire life cycle.

Engineering microbial metabolism is tapped potential to convert industrial waste and by-products into high-value chemical products, providing a more sustainable alternative to traditionally oil-derived chemicals.

Advanced catalytic strategies for CO₂ to MeOH conversion focus on approaches utilizing noble metals. These methods leverage noble metal catalysts to facilitate CO₂ molecule activation and promote reduction to MeOH under mild conditions.

Chemistry should adopt material stewardship as a central mission in fulfilling its vital role in sustainability for people and planet.

Nitrogen (N)-doped materials derived from biomass hold great promise for energy storage, gas adsorption, catalysis, and water treatment, offering an effective strategy for waste valorization.

Polycotton waste textile valorisation; upgrading waste cotton from polycotton (left) to the platform chemical glucose without affecting the polyester (right).

This review highlights advanced catalytic processes that hold industrial relevance for transforming plastic waste into sustainable fuels, chemical feedstock and advance materials, thereby facilitating chemical circular economy. Image partially generated using iStock AI Image Generator.

This review presents a comprehensive review of graphene-based catalysts for eCO₂RR, highlighting optimization strategies, characterization techniques, applications, and future challenges.

This review explores eco-friendly materials in 3D printing biodegradable polymers, bio-composites, and hybrids—highlighting processes, advancements, and applications that drive sustainable manufacturing across diverse fields.

Marine macroalgae enable green synthesis of metal and metallic oxide nanoparticles with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activities, and targeted drug delivery applications offering a sustainable alternative to chemical methods.

Via multi-enzyme cascade approaches, ω-amino fatty acids are able to be sustainably produced as nylon monomers from vegetable-derived precursors.

Plasma-based nitrogen fixation, leveraging non-thermal plasma technologies, offers a promising alternative to conventional processes, with the potential to decentralize fertilizer production, reduce CO₂ emissions, and employ renewable energy sources.

Food packaging plays a crucial role in preventing food spoilage, preserving food quality, minimising food waste, and ensuring food safety.

The transition from fossil-based to solar-based energy sources is essential to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

Schematic overview of biomass-based aerogels.

Comprehensive review of ammonia-based biomass pretreatments, examining diverse processes with varying reaction conditions and reactor configurations that modify biomass structure to enhance accessibility for biofuel, feed, and material applications.

Electrification in the chemical industry is increasingly regarded as a key enabler of carbon neutrality.

Oil contamination is a critical issue affecting global water resources, which originates from a variety of sources, including domestic and industrial activities. Treatment methods include physical, chemical, and biological processes. Image source: Oil spill photo – Jesse Kavanaugh, U.S. Coast Guard.

The role and potential implications of Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) for atmospheric CO₂ removal and long-term storage, supporting global efforts toward net-zero climate goals.

A currently accepted strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels is to replace them with biofuels.

This innovative study explores bamboo pyrolysis for biochar production, critically evaluating methods and emphasising advanced separation techniques for syngas, including both condensable (bio-oil) and non-condensable gases.

The article provides a comprehensive review of the latest advancements in graphene-based photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction, focusing on mechanisms, product selectivity, and the challenges of enhancing efficiency and scalability.

HPTPs exhibit ordered porosity and tunable coordination environments. This review highlights the synthetic strategies, structural morphology, and multifunctional applications spanning catalysis, adsorption, ion exchange, sensing, and energy storage.

Integrating Circular Economy (CE) principles with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to promote equitable, sustainable and proactive materials design of consumer durable goods.

Photocatalysis, waste valorization, hydrogen, and the circular economy.

A design of PET mechanical recycling at the industrial scale requires the inspection of the relevance of pre-treatment steps, degradation reactions and repair potential, accounting for the impact of contamination (e.g. NIAS) and regulations.

Chemical looping technology provides an efficient means of sustainable CO₂ conversion to the important chemical intermediate of CO or syngas by changing conventional co-feeding of reactant into alternating feeding.

PBS and PBSA can be used to manufacture cost-effective and sustainable materials for applications in food packaging and agriculture.

This study reviews saccharification technologies, focusing on HCl-based methods, their industrial evolution, and challenges in scaling, emphasizing the historical progress and ongoing need for innovation.

Increased human activity due to the ever-increasing global population has necessitated the urgent need for a sustainable environment, food, and energy.

To realize the full potential of biomass waste-derived electrodes, their synthesis must be fully reproducible and their environmental life cycle impact must be assessed quantitatively.

Dual-function materials (DFMs) prepared by a sustainable dry milling procedure can efficiently capture CO₂ and produce syngas by reforming with CH₄. Yet, significant CH₄ cracking also occurs, leading to carbon buildup and a high H₂ : CO syngas ratio.

Herein, we report the biosynthesis of bioplastic precursors via the immobilization of aldehyde reductase (AHR) onto a metal organic framework (UIO-66-NH₂).

Hybrid perovskite solar cells spray-coated with polystyrene retain 80% of their original efficiency after 40 hours immersed in water or temperatures of 95 °C.

The concept and first demonstration of an effective direct air capture molten carbonate chemistry is presented.

Noble gas plasma-collisional splitting (NgPCS) is an emerging hydrogen production technology.

Low DS spatioselective acetylation of paper shows control over biodegradability, without bulk modification of the fibres.

This work investigates the critical parameters for hydrothermal polyethylene conversion via a multi-analytical approach. The mechanism of the process was elucidated with supercritical water acting as a reactant through the formation of radicals.

A GC/FID method was developed and thoroughly validated, including a round robin test, to enable objective comparison of three lignin depolymerisation methods using the same lignosulphonate feedstock.

Measuring sustainability in international chemicals management: we present 23 indicators as a contribution to the Global Framework on Chemicals. Due to the overarching concept of sustainable chemistry, the indicators are related to several SDGs.

H₂ evolving photodissolution of cellulose paper was successfully achieved by combining dual-dye-sensitized photocatalysts and a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl oxidation catalyst.

The interdisciplinary nature of green chemistry requires innovative approaches for engaging broad audiences, making active learning and gamified learning of interest for exploring green chemistry in classrooms and conference settings.

Global warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, has garnered significant attention due to its detrimental environmental impacts.

Combining reaction tracking, isotope labeling, and quantitative analysis provides mechanistic clarity and improved strategies for biomass valorization aimed at hydrogen storage.

A general, mild, and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing sulfonamides in sustainable solvents was developed.

PCL and ElvaloyPTW improve the ductility and gas barrier properties of PLA. UV irradiation decreases the molecular weight of PLA and increases its crystallization.

Recycling end-of-life silicones is of interest due to the high energy and environmental costs associated with producing new materials from virgin raw materials, with this method using fluoride-catalysed processes in green solvent systems.

Pyrolysis of waste pinewood sawdust (PWS) was investigated using Py-GC-MS to gauge its suitability for generating fuel and chemicals.

Biocatalytic ibuprofen synthesis enhanced via in silico-guided rational enzyme design.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can cause severe adverse effects if released into the environment.

This research represents a major milestone in the synthesis of novel biodegradable polycarboxylic acid utilizing monomers derived from agro-industrial waste.

A new family of glycerol derived ionic liquids with tunable properties and interesting applications as hydroxycinnamic acids solubilizers or as reaction media for Pd NPs recoverable catalytic systems.

CBC was analyzed for its electronic, molecular, and adsorption properties. Despite its narrow ΔE_gap (0.058 eV), reactivity is limited due to orbital separation. CuO binds stronger than ZnO but co-adsorption reduces deformation, enhancing synergy.

A newly-developed undergraduate-level lab activity allows students to explore previously inaccessible topics in atmospheric chemistry and air quality.

The surface of NiFe-LDH was revealed to be stable and did not change the initial valence states, Ni²⁺ and Fe³⁺, after a stable operation period.

Microwave-assisted methanolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) was catalysed by a recyclable, inexpensive non-stoichiometric protic ionic liquid from sulfuric acid and triethylamine.

Schematic illustration of the redox cycle in an Fe-based sulfide catalyst mediated by lattice sulfide ions.

Water ultrasound-assisted preparation of a novel magnetic nanocatalyst, Fe₃O₄@keratin-Cu(II) and it's use for rapid and green one-pot synthesis of 1,2,3-triazolo-pyrimido-benzimidazole derivatives (5a–x) in good to excellent yields.

A unique quaternary diammonium salt and urea (1 : 2)-containing deep eutectic solvent (DES) is introduced as a simple and efficient catalytic medium for the atom-economic synthesis of oxazolidinone compounds from epoxides and isocyanates.

Biodegradable polymer matrices, PCL and PBSA were used to fabricate magnetic composites with recycled NdFeB and rare earth-free lab-synthesized ferrite fillers (SrFe₁₂O₁₉ and SrFe₁₂O₁₉–CoFe₂O₄) across a wide filling range (1–90%).

A sustainable and scalable Ritter reaction using a reusable FeCl₃·6H₂O/glycerol-based DES enables efficient amidation of secondary/tertiary alcohols with nitriles under mild conditions, with broad scope, and low environmental impact.

We demonstrate the conversion of a reactive carbon capture solution into CO using electricity provided by thermoelectric generators. The temperature differences that exist on Mars or at geothermal sites on earth are both capable of driving reactive carbon capture and conversion.

Three approaches were developed to synthesise sulfoxides: mechanoenzymatic, mechanochemical, and DES-mediated methods. Their environmental impact was assessed using green metrics to identify the most sustainable synthetic pathways.

A low-cost, recyclable ionic liquid generates sustainable cellulose, renewable small molecules and lignin-derived carbon fibres from wood biomass.

Through an inquiry-based approach, ninth-grade secondary students gain an understanding of how material degradation occurs in the environment, and their conclusions reveal the underlying principles of green chemistry.

Since the early 21st century, biochar (BC) has garnered attention for its agricultural and environmental applications.