Sonocatalysis: A Potential Sustainable Pathway for the Valorization of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Derivatives

Sonocatalytic Activity of Porous Carbonaceous Materials for the Selective Oxidation of 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzyl Alcohol

Selective oxidation, which is crucial in diverse chemical industries, transforms harmful chemicals into valuable compounds. Heterogeneous sonocatalysis, an emerging sustainable approach, urges in-depth exploration. In this work, we investigated N-doped or non-doped carbonaceous materials as alternatives to scarce, economically sensitive metal-based catalysts. Having synthesized diverse carbons using a hard-template technique, we subjected them to sonication at frequencies of 22, 100, 500, and 800 kHz with a 50% amplitude. Sonochemical reaction catalytic tests considerably increased the catalytic activity of C-meso (non-doped mesoporous carbon material). The scavenger test showed a radical formation when this catalyst was used. N-doped carbons did not show adequate and consistent sonoactivity for the selective oxidation of 4-Hydroxy-3,5 dimethoxybenzyl alcohol in comparison with control conditions without sonication, which might be associated with an acid-base interaction between the catalysts and the substrate and sonoactivity prohibition by piridinic nitrogen in N-doped catalysts.

Highly efficient ultrasound-driven Cu-MOF/ZnWO4 heterostructure: An efficient visible-light photocatalyst with robust stability for complete degradation of tetracycline

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a significant class of porous, crystalline materials composed of metal ions (clusters) and organic ligands. The potential use of copper MOF (Cu-BTC) for the sonophotocatalytic degradation of Tetracycline (TC) antibiotic was investigated in this study. To enhance its catalytic efficiency, S-scheme heterojunction was created by combining Cu-BTC with Zinc tungstate (ZnWO4), employing an ultrasound-assisted hydrothermal method. The results demonstrated that the Cu-BTC/ZnWO4 heterojunction exhibited complete removal of TC within 60 min under simultaneous irradiation of visible light and ultrasound. Interestingly, the sonophotocatalytic degradation of TC using the Cu-BTC/ZnWO4 heterojunction showed superior efficiency (with a synergy index of ∼0.70) compared to individual sonocatalytic and photocatalytic degradation processes using the same heterojunction. This enhancement in sonophotocatalytic activity can be attributed to the formation of an S-scheme heterojunction between Cu-BTC and ZnWO4. Within this heterojunction, electrons migrated from Cu-BTC to ZnWO4, facilitated by the interface between the two materials. Under visible light irradiation, the built-in electric field, band edge bending, and coulomb interaction synergistically inhibited the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Consequently, the accumulated electrons in Cu-BTC and holes in ZnWO4 actively participated in the redox reactions, generating free radicals that effectively attacked the TC molecules. This study offers valuable perspectives on the application of a newly developed S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst, demonstrating its effectiveness in efficiently eliminating diverse recalcitrant pollutants via sonophotocatalytic degradation.

Sustainable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production from Food Waste via Bacillus mycoides ICRI89: Enhanced 3D Printing with Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Blend

In view of implementing green technologies for bioplastic turning polices, novel durable feedstock for Bacillus mycoides ICRI89 used for efficient polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) generation is proposed herein. First, two food waste (FW) pretreatment methods were compared, where the ultrasonication approach for 7 min was effective in easing the following enzymatic action. After treatment with a mixture of cellulase/amylases, an impressive 25.3 ± 0.22 g/L of glucose was liberated per 50 g of FW. Furthermore, a notable 2.11 ± 0.06 g/L PHB and 3.56 ± 0.11 g/L cell dry eight (CDW) over 120 h were generated, representing a productivity percentage of 59.3 wt% using 25% FW hydrolysate. The blend of polyhydroxybutyrate/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PHB/PMMA = 1:2) possessed the most satisfactory mechanical properties. For the first time, PHB was chemically crosslinked with PMMA using dicumyl peroxide (DCP), where a concentration of 0.3 wt% had a considerable effect on increasing the mechanical stability of the blend. FTIR analysis confirmed the molecular interaction between PHB and PMMA showing a modest expansion of the C=O stretching vibration at 1725 cm-1. The DCP-PHB/PMMA blend had significant thermal stability and biodegradation profiles comparable to those of the main constituent polymers. More importantly, a 3-Dimetional (3D) filament was successfully extruded with a diameter of 1.75 mm, where no blockages or air bubbles were noticed via SEM. A new PHB/PMMA "key of life" 3D model has been printed with a filling percentage of 60% and a short printing time of 19.2 min. To conclude, high-performance polymeric 3D models have been fabricated to meet the pressing demands for future applications of sustainable polymers.

Experimental Investigations upon Ultrasound Influence on Calefaction of AdBlue in Selective Catalytic Reduction Systems (SCR)

The present paper intends to provide an analysis of how the process of calefaction occurs in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system and the mechanisms by which the deposition of AdBlue crystals on a hot surface evolve. Experimentally, two aluminium samples heated to 200 °C were used, over which AdBlue droplets with different atomisation rates were dropped, maintaining the same dynamic flow parameters, in order to observe the influence of temperature effects on the degree of deposition of crystallised sediment on the surface. The authors proposed the use of calefaction in an ultrasonic environment to prevent deposition and to increase droplet fragmentation by a break-up process. To prove the performance of this method one sample was subjected to a normal flow regime while a second sample was exposed to ultrasound. Both samples were assembled on a magneto-strictive concentrator operating at a frequency of 20 kHz. The obtained results indicated that the sample exposed to ultrasound demonstrated lower urea crystallisation compared to the sample that was not exposed to this treatment. Thus, it can be seen that the proposed method of injecting AdBlue into an ultrasonic zone gives the desired results.

Greener organic synthetic methods: Sonochemistry and heterogeneous catalysis promoted multicomponent reactions

Ultrasound is an essential technique to improve organic synthesis from the point of view of green chemistry, as it can promote better yields and selectivities, in addition to shorter reaction times when compared to the conventional methods. Heterogeneous catalysis is another pillar of sustainable chemistry being the recycling and reuse of the catalysts one of its great advantage. In the other hand, multicomponent reactions provide the synthesis of structurally diverse compounds, in a one-pot fashion, without isolation and purification of intermediates. Thus, the combination of these protocols has proved to be a powerful tool to obtain biologically active organic compounds with lower costs, time and energy consumption. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of advances on methods of organic synthesis that have been reported over the past ten years with focus on ultrasound-assisted multicomponent reactions under heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, we present pharmacologically important N- and O-heterocyclic compounds, considering their synthetic methods using green solvents, and catalyst recycling.

Cellulose Recovery from Agri-Food Residues by Effective Cavitational Treatments

Residual biomass from agri-food production chain and forestry are available in huge amounts for further valorisation processes. Delignification is usually the crucial step in the production of biofuels by fermentation as well as in the conversion of cellulose into high added-value compounds. High-intensity ultrasound (US) and hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) have been widely exploited as effective pretreatment techniques for biomass conversion and in particular for cellulose recovery. Due to their peculiar mechanisms, cavitational treatments promote an effective lignocellulosic matrix dismantling with delignification at low temperature (35–50 °C). Cavitation also promotes cellulose decrystallization due to a partial depolymerization. The aim of this review is to highlight recent advances in US and HC-assisted delignification and further cellulose recovery and valorisation.

Sonochemical fabrication of inorganic nanoparticles for applications in catalysis

Catalysis covers almost all the chemical reactions or processes aiming for many applications. Sonochemistry has emerged in designing and developing the synthesis of nano-structured materials, and the latest progress mainly focuses on the synthetic strategies, product properties as well as catalytic applications. This current review simply presents the sonochemical effects under ultrasound irradiation, roughly describes the ultrasound-synthesized inorganic nano-materials, and highlights the sonochemistry applications in the inorganics-based catalysis processes including reduction, oxidation, degradation, polymerization, etc. Or all in all, the review hopes to provide an integrated understanding of sonochemistry, emphasize the great significance of ultrasound-assisted synthesis in structured materials as a unique strategy, and broaden the updated applications of ultrasound irradiation in the catalysis fields.

Low-Viscosity Ether-Functionalized Ionic Liquids as Solvents for the Enhancement of Lignocellulosic Biomass Dissolution

Due to the substantial usage of fossil fuels, the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass as renewable sources for fuels and chemical production has been widely explored. The dissolution of lignocellulosic biomass in proper solvents is vital prior to the extraction of its important constituents, and ionic liquids (ILs) have been found to be efficient solvents for biomass dissolution. However, the high viscosity of ILs limits the dissolution process. Therefore, with the aim to enhance the dissolution of lignocellulosic biomass, a series of new ether-functionalized ILs with low viscosity values were synthesized and characterized. Their properties, such as density, viscosity and thermal stability, were analyzed and discussed in comparison with a common commercial IL, namely 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl). The presence of the ether group in the new ILs reduces the viscosity of the ILs to some appreciable extent in comparison to BMIMCl. 1-2(methoxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride (MOE-MImCl), which possesses the lowest viscosity value among the other ether-functionalized ILs, demonstrates an ability to be a powerful solvent in the application of biomass dissolution via the sonication method. In addition, an optimization study employing response surface methodology (RSM) was carried out in order to obtain the optimum conditions for maximum dissolution of biomass in the solvents. Results suggested that the maximum biomass dissolution can be achieved by using 3 weight% of initial biomass loading with 40% amplitude of sonication at 32.23 min of sonication period.

Visualization of the Mechanical Wave Effect on Liquid Microphases and Its Application for the Tuning of Dissipative Soft Microreactors

The development of approaches for creation of adaptive and stimuli-responsive chemical systems is particularly important for chemistry, materials science, and biotechnology. The understanding of response mechanisms for various external forces is highly demanded for the rational design of task-specific systems. Here, we report direct liquid-phase scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of the high frequency sound-wave-driven restructuring of liquid media on the microlevel, leading to switching of its chemical behavior. We show that under the action of ultrasound, the microstructured ionic liquid/water mixture undergoes rearrangement resulting in formation of separated phases with specific compositions and reactivities. The observed effect was successfully utilized for creation of dissipative soft microreactors formed in ionic liquid/water media during the sonication-driven water transfer. The performance of the microreactors was demonstrated using the example of controlled synthesis of small and uniform gold and palladium nanoparticles. The microsonication stage, designed and used in the present study, opened unique opportunities for direct sonochemical studies with the use of electron microscopy.

Lignocellulose Biomass as a Multifunctional Tool for Sustainable Catalysis and Chemicals: An Overview

Today, the theme of environmental preservation plays an important role within the activities of the scientific community and influences the choices of politics and the common population. In this context, the use of non-fossil substances should be promoted for different reasons: to avoid the depletion and damage of the areas involved in the fossil fuel extraction, decrease the impact of emissions/by-products related to the industrial transformation of fossil-based products and possibly exploit residual biomasses as sources of carbon. This latter aspect also can be viewed as a way to revalorize lignocellulose waste, generally destined to dump as putrescible matter or to be incinerated. In this review, we are aiming to present a concise overview of the multiple functions of lignocellulose biomass in the broad field of catalysis for a sustainable development. The originality of the approach is considering the lignocellulose-derived matter in three different aspects: (i) as a precursor to convert into platform molecules, (ii) as an active material (i.e., humic-like substances as photosensitizers) and (iii) as a green support for catalytic applications. We find that this perspective can widen the awareness level of scientists involved in the catalysis field for the exploitation of residual biomass as a valuable and complementary resource.

Fabrication of chitosan-coated mixed spinel ferrite integrated with graphene oxide (GO) for magnetic extraction of viral RNA for potential detection of SARS-CoV-2

Genetic variants of the COVID-19 causative virus have been arising and circulating globally. In many countries, especially in developing ones with a huge population, vaccination has become one of the major challenges. SARS-CoV-2 variants' fast transmission rate has an upsurge in the COVID cases, leading to more stress on health systems. In the current COVID-19 scenario, there is the requirement of more adequate diagnostic approaches to check the COVID-19 spread. Out of many diagnostic approaches, a magnetic nanoparticle-based reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction could be nontrivial. The use of magnetic nanoparticles is to separate nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 from the patient samples and apply for SARS-CoV-2 detection in an easy and more effective way. Herein, the magnetic nanoparticles are synthesized using the solgel autocombustion methods and then successfully coated with biopolymer (chitosan) using ultrasonication. Chitosan-coated nanoparticles are successfully integrated into the graphene oxide sheets to introduce carboxyl groups. Crystallite size calculation, morphological and magnetic studies of synthesized magnetic nanoparticles, and multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles are done using XRD, SEM, TEM, and VSM, respectively. Besides, the potentiality of the fabricated nanocomposites in RNA extraction protocol is also discussed with schematic representation.

Chemists around the World, Take Your Part in the Circular Economy!

Based on recent examples and initiatives reported in the literature, this concept article discusses how chemistry can contribute to the circular economy approach in order to improve our current and future economical, societal, and environmental system. Through five proposed levels of contribution, chemists can take a significant part in this global approach via the consideration of green chemistry principles, the simplification of syntheses, the limitation of complex products preparation, the efficient utilization of resources but also the novel ways of waste valorization. A more systematic and generalized environmental and economic assessment from the lab-scale is also recommended. At last, chemists have to work even more collaboratively and in a multidisciplinary way, within chemistry and beyond.

Plant and Biomass Extraction and Valorisation under Hydrodynamic Cavitation

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is a green technology that has been successfully used to intensify a number of process. The cavitation phenomenon is responsible for many effects, including improvements in mass transfer rates and effective cell-wall rupture, leading to matrix disintegration. HC is a promising strategy for extraction processes and provides the fast and efficient recovery of valuable compounds from plants and biomass with high quality. It is a simple method with high energy efficiency that shows great potential for large-scale operations. This review presents a general discussion of the mechanisms of HC, its advantages, different reactor configurations, its applications in the extraction of bioactive compounds from plants, lipids from algal biomass and delignification of lignocellulosic biomass, and a case study in which the HC extraction of basil leftovers is compared with that of other extraction methods.

A catalyst-free and expeditious general synthesis of N-benzyl-N-arylcyanamides under ultrasound irradiation at room temperature

A hitherto unknown, novel and direct approach to the efficient synthesis of N-benzyl-N-arylcyanamides is described via N-benzylation of a variety of arylcyanamides with benzyl bromide under ultrasound irradiation condition at room temperature; assorted N-benzyl-N-arylcyanamides are expeditiously accessible in excellent yields. The salient features of this approach include a very simple and clean reaction, higher yields obtained under mild conditions in an environmentally benign protocol. Additionally, easy isolation of the desired products without any tedious purification renders the present protocol a suitable alternative to desirable organic disubstituted cyanamides.

Sonocatalytic activity of biochar-supported ZnO nanorods in degradation of gemifloxacin: Synergy study, effect of parameters and phytotoxicity evaluation

This study focuses on the facile preparation of ZnO-biochar (ZnO-BC) nanocomposite prepared by the hydrothermal approach as an efficient sonocatalyst for degradation and mineralization of gemifloxacin (GMF). Morphological and textural characteristics of bare biochar (BC), ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs) and ZnO-BC nanocomposite were investigated using TEM, SEM and BET analyses. Moreover, XRD, FTIR, EDX and UV-vis DRS analyses were performed to study the crystalline structure, functional groups, elemental composition and optical properties of the samples, respectively. ZnO-BC nanocomposite showed better sonocatalytic performance than BC and ZnO NRs owing to its huge surface area, narrow band gap and enhanced sonoluminescence phenomenon. These properties led to the synergetic ability of ultrasonic irradiation and catalytic activity of ZnO-BC to generate reactive species and subsequent radical reactions. In addition, the effect of the addition of various gases and scavengers on the removal of GMF was evaluated. The GC-MS analysis was used to verify the generation of some intermediates and a possible pathway was proposed accordingly. 83.7% COD removal efficiency was observed within 90 min treatment confirming efficient mineralization of GMF solution. The phytotoxicity test was carried out using Lemna minor and the results proved that after the treatment process, a considerable toxicity removal of the GMF solution had occured.

Ultrasonic pretreatment of food waste to accelerate enzymatic hydrolysis for glucose production

Recovering valuable materials from food waste by applying the concept of a bio-refinery is attracting considerable interest. To this effect, we investigated the possibility of enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste using ultrasonic technology. The effect of pre-treating blended food waste with high-intensity ultrasound (20 kHz) on subsequent hydrolysis by glucoamylase was investigated as a function of sonication time and temperature. Particle sizing by laser diffraction, and imaging via scanning electronic microscopy showed that ultrasonic pre-treatment could reduce the particle size of the blended food waste significantly, resulting in a better interaction with the enzyme. As a consequence, the glucose yield of enzymatic hydrolysis was ∼10% higher for food waste pre-sonicated using the most intensive ultrasonication conditions studied (5 min sonication at a power of 0.8 W/mL at 20 °C) than for the untreated control. In addition, the time required to achieve high yields of glucose could be more than halved using ultrasonic pre-treatment. This could enable the hydrolysis reactor size or the enzyme usage to be reduced by more than 50%. Therefore, an ultrasound-assisted bioconversion process from food waste into a value-added product has been demonstrated.

Synthesis of ZrO2 nanoparticles on pumice and tuff for sonocatalytic degradation of rifampin

ZrO₂-pumice and ZrO₂-tuff nanocomposites were synthesized via a modified sol-gel method and used as efficient catalysts for sonocatalytic degradation of rifampin (RIF). The physico-chemical properties of the prepared catalysts were examined using XRF, SEM, EDX, FT-IR and BET analyses and compared to pure pumice and tuff samples. Subsequently, the efficacy of catalysts in degradation of RIF was assessed under various experimental conditions. Both ZrO₂-pumice and ZrO₂-tuff (1.5 g L^-1) exhibited promising catalytic activity for sonocatalytic degradation of RIF at its initial concentration of 20 mg L^-1, natural pH and under ultrasonic irradiation power of 300 W. In this condition, about 95% and 83% of RIF was removed through US/ZrO₂-pumice and US/ZrO₂-tuff processes, respectively. Furthermore, the influence of the addition of a number of scavengers, enhancers and gases on the degradation of RIF was studied. The pronounced degradation effectiveness of the catalysts under ultrasound irradiation could be assigned to their synergetic ability to produce reactive species and subsequent radical reactions. The intermediate products formed in the solution from degradation of RIF were also identified and a decomposition pathway was proposed using GC-MS, COD, TOC and IC analyses.