Critical Review
Technological and policy options for the defossilisation of chemical manufacturing
The chemical industry plays a pivotal role in modern society, providing essential products like plastics, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, speciality and agricultural chemicals.
Paper
Synthesis of novel diesters as potential fuel oxygenates and surfactants of renewable origin from carbohydrate-derived 5-(chloromethyl)furfural
5-(Chloromethyl)furfural (CMF) has received enormous interest over the past two decades as a carbohydrate-derived platform chemical for synthesizing organic chemicals of commercial significance.
Paper
Towards flexible large-scale, environmentally sustainable methanol and ammonia co-production using industrial symbiosis
Uncovering pathways to sustainable co-production schemes using industrial symbiosis.
Paper
On the synthesis of biorefineries for high-yield isobutanol production: from biomass-to-alcohol experiments to system level analysis
High yield isobutanol production is experimentally demonstrated. The solvent-to-biomass ratio during pretreatment and enzyme production during hydrolysis are identified as the major economic drivers of the biorefinery.
About this collection
Chemical industries touch almost every aspect of society. They produce everything from fuels and polymers to everyday consumer products such as cosmetics and household cleaning products. Currently, many of these vital products are made using feedstocks derived from fossil sources which, in addition to being finite, also release large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.
For chemical industries to be sustainable in the long term in accordance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (particularly Goals 12 and 13, Responsible Consumption and Production and Climate Action, respectively), they must avoid using raw materials from fossil sources and find alternative feedstocks.