Review
Energy & Fuels
M. Margarida Martins, Florbela Carvalheiro, Francisco Girio
Summary: The demand for greener alternatives has led to increasing attention to lignin, a renewable source of aromatic building blocks. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the stages of lignin valorization, including isolation, pre-treatments, industrial production, fractionation methodologies, and conversion into high-value products.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
YuJie Wang, Jing-yong Liu, Jian Sun, Sumarlin Shangdiar, Kassian T. T. Amesho, Yung-Chang Lin, Yen-Ping Peng, Ken-Lin Chang
Summary: The acid-catalyzed ionic liquid pretreatment of rice husks significantly improves cellulose conversion, removes most hemicellulose, breaks down the crystalline structure and outer silica layer of the husks, making it favorable for industrial applications.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Abraham Castro Garcia, Shuo Cheng, Shawn E. McGlynn, Jeffrey S. Cross
Summary: In this study, machine learning methods were used to develop predictive models for bio-oil and solid residue yields in lignin depolymerization. The models achieved high accuracy and indicated that temperature and reaction time are the strongest predictors of experimental outcomes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Abraham Castro Garcia, Shuo Cheng, Shawn E. Mcglynn, Jeffrey S. Cross
Summary: Machine learning methods were used to develop predictive models for bio-oil and solid residue yields in the depolymerization of lignin. The results showed that temperature and reaction time were the strongest predictors of experimental outcomes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hang Li, Na Li, Jinghao Wu, Tianyang Yu, Ran Zhang, Li-Ping Xu, Hao Wei
Summary: In this study, a method for direct insertion of an intramolecular nitrogen atom into an aromatic C-C bond was described. Carbamoyl azides were activated by a Rh catalyst and inserted directly into the C-C bond of an arene ring to produce fused azepine products. The use of a paddlewheel dirhodium complex effectively inhibited the undesired C-H insertion. Density functional theory calculations were used to elucidate the reaction mechanism and chemoselectivity of the Rh-catalyzed reactions. The resulting fused azepine products are highly stable and can be further diversified.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xinyu Wu, Hailan Lian, Xiaoyu Li
Summary: This study developed lignin nanoparticles with amino functional groups, which were prepared using modified deep eutectic solvents and applied to wood composites for UV shielding. The lignin nanoparticles exhibited UV shielding, photothermal conversion, and photothermal de-icing properties, providing a benchmark for the low-cost and sustainable preparation of UV shielding wood composites using lignin nanoparticles.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xianyuan Wu, Mario De Bruyn, Katalin Barta
Summary: Primary amines are important for the synthesis of various industrial products. A comprehensive catalytic strategy allows for the direct sourcing of diverse primary amines from lignocellulosic biomass with minimal purification effort. The core of the methodology is the efficient RANEY (R) Ni-catalyzed hydrogen-borrowing amination of alcohol intermediates.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wangda Qu, Chen Liang, Zizhu Zhao, Pengyu Hu, Zhongyi Ma
Summary: This work presents a simple method to convert lignin into carbon foam materials. By solely heating lignin, carbon foam with porous structures can be produced. Different morphologies and properties of lignin foam can be obtained by modifying the heating profile or fractionating the lignin. The resulting lignin-derived carbon foams possess well porous structures and other attractive properties.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yiying Yue, Yu Wang, Yun Bai, Jingquan Han, Wanli Cheng, Guangping Han, Qinglin Wu, Jianchun Jiang
Summary: This paper reports the development of a novel solar evaporator using biodegradable loofah and aminated phenolated lignin as key materials. Through regulating the number of grafted conjugated structures, controllable and efficient photothermal conversion efficiency was achieved. The evaporator exhibited high evaporation efficiency under 1 sun and showed excellent cost-effectiveness, making it suitable for long-term practical applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Xinyu Lu, Haoquan Guo, Dandan Wang, Pengcheng Xiu, Yu Qin, Jiajia Chen, Chaozhong Xu, Xiaoli Gu
Summary: The exploration of effective pathways for catalytic conversion of lignin into high-value chemicals has attracted wide interests. Using Ni-based catalysts can help reduce costs and improve the efficiency of lignin conversion, although challenges remain due to the complex structure and stability of lignin.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yong Zheng, Tingting Liu, Haodong He, Zilu Lv, Jiayun Xu, Dayong Ding, Lin Dai, Zhanhua Huang, Chuanling Si
Summary: By using kraft lignin (KL) as a raw material, a lignin-based epoxy vitrimer with reprocessability and environmental friendliness was successfully fabricated. This vitrimer showed good light-to-heat capability and could activate dynamic 3D cross-linking networks for repair. The energy consumption of the light-controlled remolding process was significantly lower compared to conventional hot-press methods.
ADVANCED COMPOSITES AND HYBRID MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rajeesh Kumar Pazhavelikkakath Purushothaman, Gijs van Erven, Daan S. van Es, Leon Rohrbach, Augustinus E. Frissen, Jacco van Haveren, Richard J. A. Gosselink
Summary: This study presents a systematic investigation of base catalyzed depolymerization (BCD) of five technical lignins derived from different botanical origins and covering the main industrial pulping methods. The study quantifies and characterizes the two BCD fractions, lignin oil and lignin residue, and describes their properties under various BCD process conditions. The study provides valuable insights into the overall BCD process, highlighting important feedstock-dependent outcomes and contributing to the complete valorization of BCD-derived lignin streams.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinle Cao, Yongjie Cao, Haoyang Peng, Yuanjie Cao, Haifeng Zhu, Nan Wang, Xiaoli Dong, Congxiao Wang, Yao Liu, Jinsong Wu, Yongyao Xia
Summary: A new lithium-niobium germanate LiNbGeO5 material was reported as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, showing a combination of conversion and alloying mechanisms during discharge/charge process. The anode exhibited good discharge specific capacity, initial Coulombic efficiency, and cycling stability, leading to a full cell with excellent energy density and power density when paired with a specific cathode. This work presents a new reaction mechanism for conversion-type materials in LIBs.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Hidenori Matsuyama, Xuan Zhang, Masahiro Terada, Tienan Jin
Summary: A versatile method for synthesizing alkylidene fluorenes and their heteroarene derivatives has been successfully developed by using a Pd(II)-catalyzed direct C-H/C-H coupling of o-alkenyl biaryls. Under aerobic oxidation conditions, the use of Pd(OAc)2 catalyst produces alkylidene fluorenes with various functional groups and diverse polycyclic systems. These resulting products can be utilized as versatile synthetic building blocks for constructing structurally diverse polycyclic arenes and heteroarenes.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Zhifeng Zhang, Zhen Li, Huihui Zhang, Chunhui Ma, Zhijun Zhang, Yanjun Xie, Shouxin Liu, Qingwen Wang, Charles U. Pittman
Summary: Two niobium oxide-based catalysts, m-NbOP and m-NbO, with uniform mesoporous structures and strong acidities, were synthesized and used in lignin catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP). Both catalysts showed improved abilities in direct deoxygenation and increased the production of benzene, toluene, and xylenes, while reducing the content of phenols.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wenhui Wang, Yutong He, Limin Qi
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qi Sun, Ting Cheng, Zhirong Liu, Limin Qi
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2020)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Min Ju, Rongming Cai, Jiazheng Ren, Jinxi Chen, Limin Qi, Xia Long, Shihe Yang
Summary: This study presents a method to tune the charge transfer and sorption-desorption properties of a catalyst by intercalating a conductive polymer into a layered double hydroxide, resulting in improved catalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction. In situ scanning electrochemical microscopy revealed that the hybrid catalyst exhibited a higher catalytic current density at the subnanometer scale compared to the bare catalyst.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chen Yin, Miao Zhu, Ya Kong, Qian Wang, Henghui Zhou, Limin Qi, Lianming Tong, Jin Zhang
Summary: A few-layered GDY film was successfully synthesized using a radio frequency heating directed temperature gradient approach. The film displayed homogenous morphology and an average thickness of 1-2 nm, serving as an artificial interface layer in zinc ion batteries to prevent the formation of Zn dendrites and extend the lifespan of symmetric cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cheng Chen, Liheng Zheng, Fucheng Guo, Zheyu Fang, Limin Qi
Summary: Utilizing gold nanoarrows as building blocks with regioselective functionalization has allowed for programmable self-assembly with multiple modes, revealing how geometric morphology of nanoparticles influences the assembly process.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Song Wang, Liheng Zheng, Wenjie Chen, Lukang Ji, Li Zhang, Wensheng Lu, Zheyu Fang, Fucheng Guo, Limin Qi, Minghua Liu
Summary: A new chiral plasmonic nanostructure, helically grooved gold nanoarrows (HeliGNAs), was constructed by introducing L-/D-cysteine during growth, leading to tunable plasmonic circular dichroism. HeliGNAs can self-assemble into a superhelix at high concentrations, establishing a chiroptical switch based on the photoisomerization of an achiral azobenzene derivative. This work deepens the understanding of plasmon-chirality-coupled circular dichroism through exploring interactions between chiral molecules/achiral plasmon and chiral plasmon/achiral molecules.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qi Sun, Limin Qi
Summary: Novel triple- and quaternary-layer photoanode structures were successfully prepared through a series of deposition methods, leading to significantly increased photocurrent density and excellent solar water splitting efficiency.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Di Li, Fucheng Guo, Limin Qi
Summary: Precise control over the structure and morphology of plasmonic nanoparticles is important for their desired properties and applications. This study demonstrates the synthesis of arrow-shaped and cuboidal GNA@Ag core-shell nanoparticles, as well as arrow-shaped and cuboidal GNA@AuAg yolk-shell nanoparticles. The arrow-shaped GNA@AuAg yolk-shell nanoparticles show excellent solution-based SERS sensing capability.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qi Sun, Kexin Ren, Limin Qi
Summary: This study achieved the introduction of oxygen vacancies and the loading of a cocatalyst on BiVO4 photoanodes through one-step photocathodic reduction. The modified photoanode exhibited excellent performance in photoelectrochemical water oxidation, and further modification with a cobalt silicate cocatalyst improved its efficiency even more. This work opens up a new avenue for efficient solar conversion through multifunctional modifications of photoanode systems.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Miao Zhu, Chen Yin, Qian Wang, Yujing Zhang, Jin Zhang, Henghui Zhou, Lianming Tong, Limin Qi
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of graphdiyne nanowalls as a stable lithium metal anode in lithium batteries. The vertically aligned GDY nanowalls provide an abundant and evenly distributed lithium nucleation sites, enabling smooth and columnar lithium deposition. The copper-graphdiyne nanowalls electrode exhibits excellent cycling stability and Coulombic efficiency.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Limin Qi
CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Siwei Zhao, Yujing Zhang, Jidao Li, Limin Qi, Yuxin Tang, Jia Zhu, Jian Zhi, Fuqiang Huang
Summary: In order to enhance the zinc ion conductivity and suppress dendrite growth, researchers have designed a heteroanionic zinc ion conductor (ZnyO1-xFx) as a protective layer. By tuning the F content and thickness, the coated anode shows a low overpotential of 20.4 mV for 1000 h cycle life and high stability for 1000 cycles. This work sheds light on the development of high-performance Zn-based energy storage devices.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yujing Zhang, Limin Qi
Summary: This review summarizes the recent progress in MOF-derived nanoarrays for electrochemical water splitting, focusing on the structural design and electrocatalytic performance of the derived composite materials. The structure-performance relationships and modulation strategies of the MOF-derived nanoarrays are discussed, providing new insights into the development of advanced catalysts. The challenges and prospects for future industrial applications in this field are also addressed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fenghua Chen, Yurong Ma, Limin Qi
Summary: In this study, the controlled synthesis of guanine crystals with specific polymorphs and morphologies was successfully achieved in the laboratory, resulting in the obtained alpha form anhydrous guanine microplatelets. This work has significant implications for the controlled crystallization of organic crystals.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Cheng Wang, Limin Qi
Summary: This study presents a facile approach for synthesizing Ru-CoxP nanoarrays with outstanding electrocatalytic performance towards pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), potentially promising for constructing feasible water splitting systems. The synergic effects of optimized electronic structure, increased active sites, and rapid charge/mass transfer contribute to the excellent catalytic activity of Ru-CoxP nanoarrays.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2021)
