Farm to cable: life cycle assessment of carbon electrocatalysts derived from coffee waste

Abstract

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. We now show how a systematic comparison of coffee waste as a source for direct hydrazine fuel cell anodes can inform the first full life cycle assessment (LCA) of this application. The result is a practical process yielding active and replicable materials, whose quantified environmental footprint points to actionable avenues for further development.