Article
Agricultural Engineering
Qiang Yu, Saeid Baroutian, Jun Xie
Summary: The study showed that blending corncob and sugarcane bagasse resulted in lower activation energies for hemicellulose decomposition, while the addition of nitrogen-rich Broussonetia papyrifera weakened the acidic autohydrolysis process but produced stable products. Cumulative feedback inhibition occurred among different biomass, which could be minimized by controlling the blending ratio.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Fernando Roberto Paz-Cedeno, Jose Miguel Carceller, Sara Iborra, Ricardo Keitel Donato, Anselmo Fortunato Ruiz Rodriguez, Marco Antonio Morales, Eddyn Gabriel Solorzano-Chavez, Ismael Ulises Miranda Roldan, Ariela Veloso de Paula, Fernando Masarin
Summary: Immobilized enzymes on magnetic graphene oxide particles improve stability and reusability, showing potential applications in enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Meenu Hans, Shruti Garg, Vanessa O. A. Pellegrini, Jefferson G. Filgueiras, Eduardo R. de Azevedo, Francisco E. C. Guimaraes, Anuj Kumar Chandel, Igor Polikarpov, Bhupinder Singh Chadha, Sachin Kumar
Summary: The study optimized the conditions for liquid ammonia pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse and achieved a high yield of reducing sugars during enzymatic hydrolysis. The efficiency of the process was further validated through biophysical techniques, confirming the structural and compositional changes of the biomass.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Qibo Zhang, Yujie Zhai, Shuangquan Yao, Rong Huang, Xin Zhou, Kankan Jiang
Summary: This study used a combination of hydrothermal and endo-xylanase hydrolysis methods to enhance xylooligosaccharide (XOS) yields, achieving a maximum XOS of 54.5% with low degree of polymerization. Acidic hydrolysis using dilute sulfuric acid was also employed to improve the saccharification efficiency of cellulose. The sequential hydrothermal-endo-xylanase-acid-cellulase hydrolysis process effectively co-produced biomass-derived sugar products, increasing the value of sugarcane bagasse.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Leping Zhang, Yuejie Qiu, Fuhou Lei, Pengfei Li, Jianxin Jiang
Summary: In this study, acidic amino acid glutamic acid was used to pretreat sugarcane bagasse for the production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) and glucose. The use of glutamic acid not only increased the efficiency of enzymes, but also increased the pore size and porosity of sugarcane bagasse.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Maria Augusta de Carvalho Silvello, Julian Martinez, Rosana Goldbeck
Summary: This study assessed the effect of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) on the enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse to produce fermentable sugars. The optimal conditions for SC-CO2 treatment were determined to be 50°C, 200 bar, and 120 min, resulting in the highest concentration of reducing sugars and hydrolysis yield.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Zhen Zhu, Rong Huang, Shuangquan Yao, Yiruo Liu, Qibo Zhang, Xin Zhou, Kankan Jiang
Summary: In this study, sugarcane bagasse was pretreated using a renewable organic acid (xylonic acid) derived from the biooxidation of xylose. The effects of reaction temperature and time on the release of fermentable xylose and glucose were investigated. After optimization, a pretreatment with 1% xylonic acid at 190 degrees C for 30 min was selected, resulting in a release of 70% xylose and an enzymatic hydrolysis yield of 86.5%. The pretreated hydrolysate liquor was also shown to be suitable for xylonate production through the biooxidation of Gluconobacter oxydans. Additionally, the sequential process of xylonic acid pretreatment and saccharification provides a pathway for recycling lignin as value-added bioproducts. Overall, this study presents a green-like strategy for fully utilizing sugarcane bagasse.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Samilla Gabriella Coelho de Almeida, Giuliano Formaggio de Mello, Miqueias Gomes do Santos, Debora D. Virginio da Silva, Ellen Cristine Giese, Morteza Hassanpour, Zhanying Zhang, Kelly J. Dussan
Summary: In this study, a mild-temperature two-step dilute acid and alkaline pretreatment (DA-AL) process was developed to produce highly digestible cellulose pulp from sugarcane bagasse. The use of novel thermophilic cellulases and immobilized enzymes improved the cellulose digestibility and fermentation potential of the pretreated biomass.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Si Lu, Qiong Wang, Zheng Liang, Wen Wang, Cuiyi Liang, Zhongming Wang, Zhenhong Yuan, Ping Lan, Wei Qi
Summary: A sustainable hydrolysis method combined with catalytic pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was applied to enhance reducing sugar production from sugarcane bagasse. The optimized conditions resulted in high xylose and glucose yields, as well as significantly improved enzymatic digestibility compared to natural sugarcane bagasse.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Genaro Ramirez Vedia, Andreia de Araujo Morandim-Giannetti
Summary: This study evaluated the efficiency of producing second-generation ethanol and carboxymethylcellulose from sugarcane bagasse, finding that pretreatment with sec-butylammonium acetate (IL1) yielded the best results. Under the optimal pretreatment conditions, the conversion rate of sugarcane bagasse was 54.57%, and the fermentation yield after 24 hours was 71.77%.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaspreet Kaur, Monica Sachdeva Taggar, Anu Kalia, Gulzar Singh Sanghera, Gurvinder Singh Kocher, Mohammed Javed
Summary: The study identified an efficient cellulase producing fungus and evaluated its potential for saccharification of sugarcane bagasse.
WASTE AND BIOMASS VALORIZATION
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marlen Trejo, Prakash Bhuyar, Gomathi Velu, Evelyn Zamudio Perez, Yuwalee Unpaprom, Anongkorn Trail, Rameshprabu Ramaraj
Summary: This study investigated the synthesis of ethanol from dried elephant ear plants and evaluated the effects of different treatment conditions on ethanol production. Under the most favorable conditions, fermentation resulted in high concentrations of ethanol. This research provides a new method for ethanol production.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karen Rodriguez-Nunez, Claudia Bernal, Ronny Martinez
Summary: The study introduces a novel enzyme improvement platform, Immobilized Biocatalyst Engineering (IBE), which integrates protein engineering (PE) and enzyme immobilization (EI) to simultaneously enhance biocatalysts. The IBE approach allows for the evaluation of thousands of variants in a short time, leading to the discovery of highly stable and active heterogeneous biocatalysts that show significant improvement over traditional methods. This innovative approach increases the probability of finding suitable biocatalysts for highly demanding processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Federico Battista, Luca Zuliani, Fabio Rizzioli, Salvatore Fusco, David Bolzonella
Summary: This study explored a cascade biorefinery approach to produce biodiesel, fermentable sugars, and biomethane from spent coffee grounds, rich in high-value compounds. Transesterification and glycerol pretreatment were used to achieve high product performance. However, the low content of easily degradable compounds led to the need to search for better alternatives to improve methane production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Aissata Ousmane Kane, Anelyse Abreu Cortez, Vanessa Oliveira Arnoldi Pellegrini, Balla Diop Ngom, Jefferson G. Filgueiras, Eduardo R. de Azevedo, Igor Polikarpov
Summary: Sugarcane bagasse was pretreated with a combination of liquid hot water and neutral/alkaline sulfonation at low temperatures to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis yields. The combination of liquid hot water pretreatment and sulfonation resulted in excellent enzymatic hydrolysis yields.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Cecilia Aline Otaviano, Cassamo Ussemane Mussagy, Fernando Roberto Paz-Cedeno, Jorge Fernando Branda Pereira, Fernando Masarin
Summary: This study aimed to refine XOS-rich hemicellulosic hydrolysate (HH) obtained from Eucalyptus by-product using liquid-liquid extraction and vacuum evaporation. Both processes were efficient in removing unwanted components, especially aromatics contaminants.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
H. L. Tan, P. R. Ng, M. Trushin, G. K. W. Koon, K. Z. Donato, M. C. F. Costa, R. K. Donato, A. H. Castro Neto
Summary: 2D materials can be functionalised with ionisable functional groups to form 2D electrolytes. In this study, heterostructures were formed by self-assembly of functionalised graphene oxide (GO) with cationic groups and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with anionic groups. The application of sonication allowed the continuous assembly of the 2D materials into heterostructured nanofibers, which resemble naturally occurring polyelectrolytes. This method offers a facile approach for the continuous processing of low-cost heterostructured nanofibers with potential applications in various fields.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mariana C. F. Costa, Pei Rou Ng, Sergey Grebenchuck, Jun You Tan, Gavin K. W. Koon, Hui Li Tan, Colin R. Woods, Ricardo K. Donato, Kostya S. Novoselov, Antonio H. Castro Neto
Summary: One of the important characteristics of 2D electrolytes is their ability to transform into 1D structures like nanoscrolls. However, these 1D structures are soft, unstable, and have poor electrical conductivity. Through the use of atomic force microscopy and electrical transport measurements, researchers have found that one-step, catalyst-free graphitization of graphene nanoscrolls enhances their structural stability and reduces their structural disorder. These changes in physical properties open up possibilities for the study of exotic materials and various industrial applications.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Cristina Martinez, Alejandro Vidal-Moya, Bilge Yilmaz, C. P. Kelkar, Avelino Corma
Summary: Fluidized Catalytic cracking (FCC) is a main conversion process in refineries, using Y zeolite as the main source of activity and selectivity. A new Y zeolite catalyst, Phinesse(TM), based on partial substitution of RE by P, has been developed and shown to have similar performance to the conventional RE stabilized counterpart. The hydrothermal stability of different USYs with different dealumination degrees, containing P or La alone or a combination of both stabilizing elements, was compared. The results provide insights into the benefits of P-La stabilization observed in the commercial PhinesseTM catalyst.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lichen Liu, Avelino Corma
Summary: This review discusses the structure, synthesis, and catalytic applications of heterogeneous bimetallic catalysts, including binuclear sites, nanoclusters, and nanoparticles. Recent progress in the field of bimetallic catalysts is highlighted, along with the future research directions and prospects in both fundamental and practical aspects of heterogeneous catalysis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pau Ferri, Chengeng Li, Daniel Schwalbe-Koda, Mingrou Xie, Manuel Moliner, Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, Mercedes Boronat, Avelino Corma
Summary: Approaching the level of molecular recognition of enzymes with solid catalysts is a challenging goal, achieved in this work for the competing transalkylation and disproportionation of diethylbenzene catalyzed by acid zeolites. The key diaryl intermediates for the two competing reactions only differ in the number of ethyl substituents in the aromatic rings, and therefore finding a selective zeolite able to recognize this subtle difference requires an accurate balance of the stabilization of reaction intermediates and transition states inside the zeolite microporous voids.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Risheng Bai, Guangyuan He, Lin Li, Tianjun Zhang, Junyan Li, Xingxing Wang, Xiumei Wang, Yongcun Zou, Donghai Mei, Avelino Corma, Jihong Yu
Summary: In this work, a carbonization-reduction method was used to create palladium carbide subnanometric species within pure silicate MFI zeolite. The developed catalyst showed superior performance in the selective hydrogenation of alkynes.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Francisco Gonell, Miriam Rodenes, Santiago Martin, Mercedes Boronat, Ivan Sorribes, Avelino Corma
Summary: Developing precious-metal-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial. Amorphous molybdenum sulfide-based materials provide highly active HER electrocatalysts by introducing active sites at both the edge positions and the typically inactive basal planes. The bottom-up synthesis using molecular complexes with Mo3S4 and Mo3S7 cluster cores enhances the HER activity and allows the modification of the derived materials with atomic-scale precision.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniela Remonatto, Nubia Santaella, Lindomar Alberto Lerin, Juliana Cristina Bassan, Marcel Otavio Cerri, Ariela Veloso de Paula
Summary: This study aimed to synthesize medium-long-medium (MLM) triacylglycerols with nutraceutical applications through enzymatic acidolysis in a fluidized bed reactor. The optimal conditions were found to be a 1:4 oil/acid molar ratio and 80 cycles, resulting in a degree of incorporation of about 40 mol%.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Miriam Rodenes, Frederic Dhaeyere, Santiago Martin, Patricia Concepcion, Avelino Corma, Ivan Sorribes
Summary: A defect-engineered molybdenum sulfide catalyst is used to establish straightforward synthetic processes using alcohols. Developing tandem catalytic strategies based on readily available, stable, and renewable feedstocks is crucial for sustainable chemical industries. The catalyst, defect-engineered basal planes of a molybdenum sulfide nanomaterial ({Mo3S4}( n )), enables one-pot single-step synthesis and facilitates various coupling reactions involving alcohol dehydrogenation and hydrogen activation processes.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Abra Eli Atsakou, Daniela Remonatto, Rodney Helder Miotti Junior, Fernando Roberto Paz-Cedeno, Fernando Masarin, Grazielle Santos Silva Andrade, Edwil Aparecida de Lucca Gattas, Ariela Veloso de Paula
Summary: This study aimed to assess the nutritional properties of dietary lipids obtained through the modification of aqueous enzymatically extracted pumpkin seed oil. The study found that the optimized extraction conditions resulted in a high amount of unsaturated fatty acids and the nutritional properties of the oil were improved through enzymatic acidolysis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Caio A. Lima, Heitor B. S. Bento, Flavio P. Picheli, Fernando R. Paz-Cedeno, Cassamo U. Mussagy, Fernando Masarin, Mario A. Torres Acosta, Valeria C. Santos-Ebinuma
Summary: This study explores the potential of citrus by-product (CB) as a carbon source for the synthesis of red colorants (RC) and enzymes by the filamentous fungi Talaromyces amestolkiae. The microorganism metabolizes the sugars in CB to produce RC and enzymes, including endo-glucanases, xylanase, and β-glucosidase. Although further improvements are needed for economic viability, the results show promise for the production of high commercial value commodities using citrus waste.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lichen Liu, Avelino Corma
Summary: Heterogeneous bimetallic catalysts are widely used in industrial processes, but understanding the active sites in these catalysts at the atomic and molecular level is challenging due to their structural complexity. Comparing the structural features and catalytic performances of different bimetallic entities can aid in developing a unified understanding of the structure-reactivity relationships and improving current bimetallic catalysts. This review discusses the geometric and electronic structures of three representative types of bimetallic catalysts, as well as the synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and catalytic applications of these catalysts.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Risheng Bai, Yue Song, Ge Tian, Fei Wang, Avelino Corma, Jihong Yu
Summary: The synthesis of highly efficient nano-sized Ti-rich TS-1 zeolites with controllable titanium species is crucial in zeolite catalytic reactions. A new method was developed using tetrabutyl orthotitanate tetramer as the titanium source, which slowed down the zeolite crystallization process and prevented the formation of anatase species. The Ti-rich TS-1 zeolite prepared with this method exhibited enriched active titanium species, enlarged external surface area, and superior catalytic performance in oxidative desulfurization reactions.
GREEN ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexandra Velty, Avelino Corma
Summary: For many years, capturing, storing or sequestering CO2 from emission sources has been an effective method for reducing atmospheric CO2. The chemical conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals has gained much attention due to CO2's abundance and renewable nature. Catalysts, particularly zeolite and ordered mesoporous materials, play a critical role in the conversion of CO2. By studying the reactions involving these catalysts, this review aims to explore the potential opportunities for using them to convert CO2 into essential chemicals and fuels.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cameron Bracken, Nathalie Voisin, Casey D. Burleyson, Allison M. Campbell, Z. Jason Hou, Daniel Broman
Summary: This study presents a methodology and dataset for examining compound wind and solar energy droughts, as well as the first standardized benchmark of energy droughts across the Continental United States (CONUS) for a 2020 infrastructure. The results show that compound wind and solar droughts have distinct spatial and temporal patterns across the CONUS, and the characteristics of energy droughts are regional. The study also finds that compound high load events occur more often during compound wind and solar droughts than expected.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ning Zhang, Yanghao Yu, Jiawei Wu, Ershun Du, Shuming Zhang, Jinyu Xiao
Summary: This paper provides insights into the optimal configuration of CSP plants with different penetrations of wind power by proposing an unconstrained optimization model. The results suggest that large solar multiples and TES are preferred in order to maximize profit, especially when combined with high penetrations of wind and photovoltaic plants. Additionally, the study demonstrates the economy and feasibility of installing electric heaters (EH) in CSP plants, which show a linear correlation with the penetration of variable energy resources.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
M. Szubel, K. Papis-Fraczek, S. Podlasek
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
J. Silva, J. C. Goncalves, C. Rocha, J. Vilaca, L. M. Madeira
Summary: This study investigated the methanation of CO2 in biogas and compared two different methanation reactors. The results showed that the cooled reactor without CO2 separation achieved a CO2 conversion rate of 91.8%, while the adiabatic reactors achieved conversion rates of 59.6% and 67.2%, resulting in an overall conversion rate of 93.0%. Economic analysis revealed negative net present worth values, indicating the need for government monetary incentives.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yang Liu, Yonglan Xi, Xiaomei Ye, Yingpeng Zhang, Chengcheng Wang, Zhaoyan Jia, Chunhui Cao, Ting Han, Jing Du, Xiangping Kong, Zhongbing Chen
Summary: This study investigated the effect of using nanofiber membrane composites containing Prussian blue-like compound nanoparticles (PNPs) to relieve ammonia nitrogen inhibition of rural organic household waste during high-solid anaerobic digestion and increase methane production. The results showed that adding NMCs with 15% PNPs can lower the concentrations of volatile fatty acids and ammonia nitrogen, and increase methane yield.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhong Ge, Xiaodong Wang, Jian Li, Jian Xu, Jianbin Xie, Zhiyong Xie, Ruiqu Ma
Summary: This study evaluates the thermodynamic, exergy, and economic performance of a double-stage organic flash cycle (DOFC) using ten eco-friendly hydrofluoroolefins. The influences of key parameters on performance are analyzed, and the advantages of DOFC over single-stage type are quantified.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nicolas Kirchner-Bossi, Fernando Porte-Agel
Summary: This study investigates the optimization of power density in wind farms and its sensitivity to the available area size. A novel genetic algorithm (PDGA) is introduced to optimize power density and turbine layout. The results show that the PDGA-driven solutions significantly reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) compared to the default layout, and exhibit a convex relationship between area and LCOE or power density.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chunxiao Zhang, Dongdong Li, Lin Wang, Qingpo Yang, Yutao Guo, Wei Zhang, Chao Shen, Jihong Pu
Summary: In this study, a novel reversible liquid-filled energy-saving window that effectively regulates indoor solar radiation heat gain is proposed. Experimental results show that this window can effectively reduce indoor temperature during both summer and winter seasons, while having minimal impact on indoor illuminance.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alessandro L. Aguiar, Martinho Marta-Almeida, Mauro Cirano, Janini Pereira, Leticia Cotrim da Cunha
Summary: This study analyzed the Brazilian Equatorial Shelf using a high-resolution ocean model and found significant tidal variations in the area. Several hypothetical barrages were proposed with higher annual power generation than existing barrages. The study also evaluated the installation effort of these barrages.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Francesco Superchi, Nathan Giovannini, Antonis Moustakis, George Pechlivanoglou, Alessandro Bianchini
Summary: This study focuses on the optimization of a hybrid power station on the Tilos island in Greece, aiming to increase energy export and revenue by optimizing energy fluxes. Different scenarios are proposed to examine the impact of different agreements with the grid operator on the optimal solution.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Peimaneh Shirazi, Amirmohammad Behzadi, Pouria Ahmadi, Sasan Sadrizadeh
Summary: This research presents two novel energy production/storage/usage systems to reduce energy consumption and environmental effects in buildings. A biomass-fired model and a solar-driven system integrated with photovoltaic thermal (PVT) panels and a heat pump were designed and assessed. The results indicate that the solar-based system has an acceptable energy cost and the PVT-based system with a heat pump is environmentally superior. The biomass-fired system shows excellent efficiency.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zihao Qi, Yingling Cai, Yunxiang Cui
Summary: This study aims to investigate the operational characteristics of the solar-ground source heat pump system (SGSHPS) in Shanghai under different operation modes. It concludes that tandem operation mode 1 is the optimal mode for winter operation in terms of energy efficiency.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
L. Bartolucci, S. Cordiner, A. Di Carlo, A. Gallifuoco, P. Mele, V. Mulone
Summary: Spent coffee grounds are a valuable biogenic waste that can be used as a source of biofuels and valuable chemicals through pyrolysis and solvent extraction processes. The study found that heavy organic bio-oil derived from coffee grounds can be used as a carbon-rich biofuel, while solvent extraction can extract xantines and p-benzoquinone, which are important chemicals for various industries. The results highlight the promising potential of solvent extraction in improving the economic viability of coffee grounds pyrolysis-based biorefineries.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Luiza de Queiroz Correa, Diego Bagnis, Pedro Rabelo Melo Franco, Esly Ferreira da Costa Junior, Andrea Oliveira Souza da Costa
Summary: Building-integrated photovoltaics, especially organic solar technology, are important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector. This study analyzed the performance of organic panels laminated in glass in a vertical installation in Latin America. Results showed that glass lamination and vertical orientation preserved the panels' performance and led to higher energy generation in winter.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhipei Hu, Shuo Jiang, Zhigao Sun, Jun Li
Summary: This study proposes innovative fin arrangements to enhance the thermal performance of latent heat storage units. Through optimization of fin distribution and prediction of transient melting behaviors, it is found that fin structures significantly influence heat transfer characteristics and melting behaviors.
