The sustainable materials roadmap

Abstract

Our ability to produce and transform engineered materials over the past 150 years is responsible for our high standards of living today, especially in the developed economies. Yet, we must carefully think of the effects our addiction to creating and using materials at this fast rate will have on the future generations. The way we currently make and use materials detrimentally affects the planet Earth, creating many severe environmental problems. It affects the next generations by putting in danger the future of economy, energy, and climate. We are at the point where something must drastically change, and it must change NOW. We must create more sustainable materials alternatives using natural raw materials and inspiration from Nature while making sure not to deplete important resources, i.e. in competition with the food chain supply. We must use less materials, eliminate the use of toxic materials and create a circular materials economy where reuse and recycle are priorities. We must develop sustainable methods for materials recycling and encourage design for disassembly. We must look across the whole materials life cycle from raw resources till end of life and apply thorough life cycle assessments based on reliable and relevant data to quantify sustainability.

Petroleum Asphaltene-Based Activated Nanoporous Carbon for CO2 Capture and H2 Storage

“…Upon revealing the nanoporous structure of carbonized asphaltenes, another aspect of being revealed was the swelling versus rigidity of the nanoporous matrixes. Rigidity is an essential property in determining the sustainability of materials . To study this behavior, NMR silent deuterated chloroform (CDCl 3 ) was used as a “ghost solvent”. , In this approach, CDCl 3 does not contribute to the NMR signal.…”

Assessment of Green Chemistry Metrics for Carbon Dioxide Fixation into Cyclic Carbonates Using Eutectic Mixtures as Catalyst: Comprehensive Evaluation on the Example of a Tannic Acid-Derived System

“…Nevertheless, as presented on the example of tannic acid derived mixtures, as well as systems based on citric acid or maleic acid (which can be synthesized from furfural), the development of effective, bioderived catalytic systems for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates is feasible. Furthermore, these systems have the potential to significantly meet the criteria of material circularity, which is crucial for our transition to a net-zero future. , …”

Bioinspired and Bioderived Aqueous Electrocatalysis

“…Fe-NC CVD tested in an O 2 -saturated 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte at 900 rpm in RDE, with a site density based on nitrite stripping and the TOF from the kinetic current density . Fe–N 4 C 50(theoretical) (red triangle) is based on a theoretical Fe-NC with the same TOF as Fe-NC CVD . The site density of Pt/C (Pt nanoparticle, black circle) was obtained from ref (with Pt = 50 wt % with 25% site utilization), and the TOF was from PEM fuel-cell conditions (80 °C, 100 kPa abs H 2 and O 2 ). , Co 2 FTF (blue diamond) tested in O 2 -satured 0.5 M CF 3 CO 2 H at 250 rpm …”