Themed collection Celebrating International Women’s day 2025: Women in green chemistry

We review the fundamental knowledge and research advancements in chemically recycling different types of plastic, and highlight the current challenges and future opportunities in implementing these technologies to meet climate-neutral targets.

Within a circular approach, cost-effective, tailored and robust biomass-derived catalysts to convert biomass play a key role in biorefinery developments.

Seaweed biomass is gaining industrial and economic momentum as a renewable feedstock for high-value products, including nutraceuticals, value-added chemicals and bioplastics.

Hydrotropic solvents are a promising solvent in biomass processing due to their unique amphiphilic structure. This review summarizes recent advances in hydrotropic solvent systems with their chemical structure, amphiphilicity, roles, and mechanism.

Nowadays, with the mechanization of human societies, the demand for energy production and storage has also increased.

This work provides a comprehensive understanding of single atom catalysis and its mechanisms towards advanced and sustainable alkali metal batteries.

Solvents are essential for chemical synthesis and material preparation; however, traditional solvents face challenges in meeting safety and sustainability standards.

A critical overview is provided, on use of green monomers and solvents for fabrication of selective thin-films via interfacial polymerization used inseparation processes.

This review summarises the thermo-catalytic processes converting chitin from shell waste into diverse chemicals and reviews the advances, catalytic systems, and associated challenges.

Bio-based and petroleum-based biodegradable coatings: materials, methods, and modifications to improve the performance of polymeric substrates for plastic and paper-based food packaging applications.

An overview on lignin modification and applications possibilities is provided. Importantly, a quantitative comparison of all discussed literature procedures in terms of sustainability is included.

Given the high toxicity of inorganic inhibitors, organic substances, primarily heterocycles, have been proven to be one of the most efficient, cost-effective, and practical alternatives.

Role of different strategies in improving active sites of N-doped graphene based electrocatalysts for sustainable energy.

CO₂, as a harmful gas, is produced by factories and industries. The best way to remove it is to use natural absorbents/adsorbents such as polysaccharides and lignin-based materials.

This study provides an enzymatic synthesis route towards L-threitol from a C1 resource, presenting a green and promising strategy for L-threitol production.

An assessment of mechanochemistry's utility with hypervalent iodine reagents highlighted its effectiveness, which showed better selectivity, reaction times and differing reactivity.

An exogenous electrolyte- and base-free electrochemical cobalt-catalysed atroposelective C–H annulation has been established to construct N–N axially chiral isoquinolinones in excellent enantioselectivities and good yields.

Cu(II)-catalyzed robust efficient in-water N-arylation of electron-poor NH-heterocycles is reported. Wide substrate scope, decent yields, functional group tolerance, gram-scale synthesis, synthetic elaboration, late-stage arylation mirror advantages.

The NOCCRA (NO_x capture and catalytic reduction to ammonia) process enables local ammonia/fertiliser production out of NO_x in the flue gas of stationary engines. The two-phase process adsorbs NO_x on a lean NO_x trap, followed by reduction to NH₃ by H₂.

A metal-free heterogeneous photoredox system provides a mild, sustainable, and practical route for the carboxyalkylation of olefins using ambient carbon dioxide as a C1 source and aliphatic reactive esters as building blocks.

An environmentally benign, transition metal- and base-free, atom-economical protocol for the synthesis of the privileged isoquinolone scaffold via regioselective intramolecular iodoamidation of alkynes under mild conditions has been developed.

DFT-guided development of a compact flow ozone platform for the neutralization of sulfur mustard simulants.

In this study, we present the preparation and application of a new manganoporphyrin Hf-MOF catalyst, Hf-PCN-222(Mn) for the direct oxidative carboxylation of alkenes with CO₂, leading to the effective formation of cyclic organic carbonates (COCs).

A family of α,ω-diene carbonate furanic monomers was synthesized and polymerized via ADMET producing bio-based polycarbonates. Co-polymerization studies were then conducted on diene furanic monomers incorporating ester, ether, and carbonate groups.

An analysis of CHEM21 solvent categories reveals that green solvents are viable and often superior to oft-used toxic and hazardous solvents for catalytic hydrophosphination regardless of mechanism, substrate, or catalyst.

The catalytic ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone using (DBTEMDA)Br₂ efficiently produces controlled PCLs with precise molecular weight control and recyclable catalytic activity for up to six cycles.

An efficient adsorbent (EPP–PDA@MAC) for critical indium and gallium recovery is developed via novel, green, and facile modification, showing high adsorption ability, remarkable reusability, and practical effectiveness in waste CIGS PV modules.

An electrochemical method using a nickel foam to reduce alkenes has been developed with a focus on chemical, environmental and toxicological performance.

Three-phase partitioning systems based on designed hydrophobic eutectic solvents allow a sustainable pretreatment of blood samples to improve the detection of bisphenol A, paving the way for their application in a variety of biomonitoring studies.

Guidelines for the evaluation of green solvents were revisited and integrated into a decision diagram. GVL, Cyrene™, DMC, NOP, DEC, DMI, GBL, NBP, Rhodiasolv® PolarClean, and DMSO showed the potential to substitute hazardous polar aprotic solvents.

From atmospheric CO₂ to green plastics, a sustainable journey.

We herein describe a versatile electron donor–acceptor complex (EDA) mediated α-sulfonylation of ketone-derived silyl enol ethers using thiosulfonates (acceptor) with DABCO (donor) under visible light irradiation.

A robust flow electrochemical method for P–N and P–O oxidative coupling under mild conditions has been developed. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to investigate the redox behaviour of reactants.

Innovative thermal battery technology has the capability to revolutionize the renewable energy storage market.

A paired alkaline electrolyzer with non-noble metal catalysts was developed, demonstrating higher performances of furfural oxidation on NiFe/Ni foam at the anode and hydrogen evolution on Co/MXene at the cathode under practical current densities.

We describe an exploratory approach to a concept of safer and more sustainable by design in biocatalytic amide bond synthesis.

A sustainable method suitable for industrial-scale continuous flow synthesis of esters from biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol (FA) and C₈–C₁₈ carboxylic acids was developed.

The synergy between high-temperature water and urea propels the synthesis of imidazoles via the Debus-Radziszewski multicomponent reaction in a catalys-free fashion.

Dendritic ZSM-5 zeolites were studied for isomerizing monoterpene epoxides like limonene, α-pinene, and β-pinene epoxides, producing valuable compounds for fragrances, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Mannose production was optimized and reached over 100 g L⁻¹ and 80% yield in a one-step hydrolysis of açaí seeds, which are an unexplored agroindustrial waste from the Brazilian Amazon region.

The present work foreshadows the use of molecular-engineered organic polymeric networks as a green and sustainable approach for the upgradation of chemicals via photocatalytic organic transformation reactions.

We herein describe a versatile electron–donor–acceptor (EDA) mediated thioesterification reaction using aryl sulfonium salt (acceptor) with potassium thioacid salts (donor) under visible light irradiation.

The recent growing interest in the biological properties of lichen metabolites has evidenced different needs and challenges for further exploration, including the development of green processing with safer solvents and more efficient use of energy.

Naturally occurring and structurally diverse alkene-containing substrates, terpenes, provided a platform for establishing chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective reactivity in tantalum catalysed hydroaminoalkylation.

Herein, we introduce a visible-light promoted green, metal-free method for the regioselective nucleophilic ring opening of epoxides by exploiting arylazo sulfones as PhotoAcid Generators (PAGs).

A mechanochemical solvent-free method enables facile access to surface modified cellulose nanocrystals, through activation and versatile nucleophilic substitution.

A guide has been developed, highlighting various sustainability criteria of solvents used in the paints and coatings industry.

Electrochemical ethylene and propylene oxidations are economically feasible under different conditions and process advancements.

Analysis of over 700 chemical production routes showing that decision making towards more environmentally sustainable pathways is enhanced by combining mass- and energy-based process metrics with simplified life cycle impact indicators.

BHMF-based polyesters are synthesized via enzymatic bulk polymerization. The thermal, mechanical and rheological properties can be tuned by varying the structural composition of the polymer, which also influences the biodegradation rate.

The open-source Excel LCA tool ESTIMATe allows non-LCA experts to assess the environmental impact of CCU chemicals.

Biowaste promotes the self-blowing of isocyanate-free polyurethane (NIPU) liquid formulations and stabilizes the growing cells to deliver homogeneous foams.

The demand for fermentation-based chemicals is expected to grow in the coming years because of the increasing emphasis on using bio-based chemicals over petrochemicals.

The structure of humins, a major side-product of carbohydrate biorefining, is complex and to a large extent unknown. A multitechnique characterization of an industrial humin provides new structural insights.

Five fragment-based QSBR models for ionic liquids were developed on MultiCASE's FlexFilters platform to support biodegradability assessment and designing mineralising ionic liquids.

New strategy using buffer solutions and iodide as additive for improvement of EC performance.

Higher safety and sustainability is achieved by replacing hydrogenation with enzymatic reduction in the stereoselective preparation of sandalwood fragrances.

Ecological transition towards the circular economy requires the valorization of agri-food wastes. Herein, natural deep eutectic solvents and bio-based ionic liquids were used to extract polyphenols and prepare an ionogel from cherry pomace waste.

Operationally simple photo-nickel C(sp²)–S cross-coupling with a reusable heterogeneous photocatalyst.

To obtain high catalytic activity and stability for commercial green hydrogen generation without requiring extra energy, NiFeHCF@NF was synthesized using a unique all-in-one approach.

Aiming at the development of low-impact synthetic pathways, we herein report the simultaneous employment of different tools to improve the overall sustainability of the Suzuki–Miyaura (SM) cross-coupling with a circular economy approach.

Dry formaldehyde was electrochemically produced from methanol at ambient conditions. Faraday efficiencies of up to 90% were achieved and the reaction was successfully scaled-up to a flow cell to approach industrially relevant operation conditions.

The biocatalytic hydrolysis of valerolactams was achieved with ATP-dependent oxoprolinases OplAB, coupled to an in situ ATP regeneration using metaphosphate.

The article describes sustainability aspects of the Tsuji-Trost reaction in terms of productivity (reactivity-coupled utility), side reaction assessment, and environmental impact of allylic precursors.

This research introduces an innovative approach to create a bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst by using Li-ion battery graphite waste fraction from hydrometallurgical recycling as a raw material.

An innovative biorefinery approach was developed to obtain multiple high-value compounds from a marine bacterium. Bio-based solvents as sustainable alternatives to develop more sustainable downstream processes.

Simple and cost-effective mixture containing acetic acid to selective dissolve Nd over Fe from their corresponding oxides.

We present a simplified, CO2-free and energy efficient synthesis to produce high-purity LATP with competitive electrochemical properties.

Herein, we report a mechanochemical-assisted decarboxylative sulfonylation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids with sodium sulfinate salts using potassium iodide as an activator under water-assisted grinding conditions.

Temperature-driven C–C, C–N, and CC bond development yields 3-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-5-oxo-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-yl)oxindoles and (Z)-3-(3-methyl-5-oxo-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-ylidene)indolin-2-one in a one-pot green "on water" synthesis.