Oxidized Biochar as a Simple, Renewable Catalyst for the Production of Cyclic Carbonates from Carbon Dioxide and Epoxides

Empowering Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin on BiOI Composites: A Material-by-Design Investigation

Binary and ternary composites of BiOI with NH2-MIL-101(Fe) and a functionalized biochar were synthesized through an in situ approach, aimed at spurring the activity of the semiconductor as a photocatalyst for the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) from water. Experimental outcomes showed a drastic enhancement of the adsorption and the equilibrium (which increased from 39.31 mg g-1 of bare BiOI to 76.39 mg g-1 of the best ternary composite in 2 h time), while the kinetics of the process was not significantly changed. The photocatalytic performance was also significantly enhanced, and the complete removal of 10 ppm of CIP in 3 h reaction time was recorded under simulated solar light irradiation for the best catalyst of the investigated batch. Catalytic reactions supported by different materials obeyed different reaction orders, indicating the existence of different mechanisms. The use of scavengers for superoxide anion radicals, holes, and hydroxyl radicals showed that although all these species are involved in CIP photodegradation, the latter play the most crucial role, as also confirmed by carrying out the reaction at increasing pH conditions. A clear correlation between the reduction of BiOI crystallite sizes in the composites, as compared to the bare material, and the material performance as both adsorbers and photocatalyst was identified.

Greener design and characterization of biochar/Fe3O4@SiO2-Ag magnetic nanocomposite as efficient catalyst for synthesis of bioactive benzylpyrazolyl coumarin derivatives

The study aimed to develop an efficient catalyst, biochar/Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-Ag magnetic nanocomposite, to synthesize bioactive benzylpyrazolyl coumarin derivatives through a one-pot multicomponent reaction. The catalyst was prepared using Ag nanoparticles synthesized with Lawsonia inermis leaf extract and carbon-based biochar obtained through pyrolysis of Eucalyptus globulus bark. The nanocomposite contained a silica-based interlayer, highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles, and a central magnetite core, which responded well to external fields. The biochar/Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-Ag nanocomposite showed excellent catalytic activity and could be easily recovered using an external magnet and reused five times without significant loss of performance. The resulting products were tested for antimicrobial activity and showed significant activity against various microorganisms.

Highly Efficient Heterogeneous Pd@POPs Catalyst for the N-Formylation of Amine and CO2

Utilization of CO2 for the production of fine chemicals has become a research hotspot for a long time. In order to make use of CO2, we developed a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst (denoted as Pd@POPs) for the N-formylation reaction of amine and CO2 under mild conditions. The Pd catalyst was based on a porous organic polymer derived from the solvothermal polymerization of vinyl-functionalized PPh3. A series of characterizations and comparative experiments demonstrated that the Pd@POPs catalyst has high BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface areas, hierarchical pore structure, and uniform dispersion of Pd active sites resulting from the formation of strong coordination bonds between Pd species and P atoms in the porous organic polymer (POP) support. In addition to the excellent activity, the Pd@POPs catalyst shows good stability for the N-formylation reaction of amine and CO2.

Zinc oxide rod/peanut shell-derived porous carbon composites for cooperative CO2 chemical fixation

A ZnO/biowaste-derived porous carbon composite exhibits admirable activity and selectivity in the cycloaddition of epoxides with CO₂ under mild conditions.

The Application of Biomass-Based Catalytic Materials in the Synthesis of Cyclic Carbonates from CO2 and Epoxides

The synthesis of cyclic carbonates from carbon dioxide (CO2) and epoxides is a 100% atom economical reaction and an attractive pathway for CO2 utilisation. Because CO2 is a thermodynamically stable molecule, the use of catalysts is mandatory in reducing the activation energy of the CO2 conversion. Considering environmental compatibility and the high-efficiency catalytic conversion of CO2, there is the strong need to develop green catalysts. Biomass-based catalysts, a type of renewable resource, have attracted considerable attention due to their unique properties-non-toxic, low-cost, pollution-free, etc. In this review, recent advances in the development of biomass-based catalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates by CO2 and epoxides coupling are summarized and discussed in detail. The effect of biomass-based catalysts, functional groups, reaction conditions, and co-catalysts on the catalytic efficiency and selectivity of synthesizing cyclic carbonates process is discussed. We intend to provide a comprehensive understanding of recent experimental and theoretical progress of CO2 and epoxides coupling reaction and pave the way for both CO2 conversion and biomass unitization.

A Review of Non-Soil Biochar Applications

Biochar is the solid residue that is recovered after the thermal cracking of biomasses in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Biochar has been used for many years as a soil amendment and in general soil applications. Nonetheless, biochar is far more than a mere soil amendment. In this review, we report all the non-soil applications of biochar including environmental remediation, energy storage, composites, and catalyst production. We provide a general overview of the recent uses of biochar in material science, thus presenting this cheap and waste-derived material as a high value-added and carbonaceous source.