Porous Fe@C Composites Derived from Silkworm Excrement for Effective Separation of Anisole Compounds

Cotton-Derived Fe/Fe3C-Encapsulated Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Fabrication processes of fossil fuel-derived carbon nanomaterials are of high carbon emissions. Deriving carbon materials from low-cost and sustainable biomass is eco-friendly. Cotton, one of the most abundant biomass materials, naturally holds a hierarchically porous structure, making the activated cotton textile (ACT) an ideal scaffold for loading active materials. Here, we report a low-cost approach to massively producing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via a combination process of vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) and solid-liquid-solid (SLS) where cotton decomposed into carbon-containing gases and amorphous carbons that then dissolved into Fe nanoparticles, forming Fe/Fe₃C-encapsulated MWCNTs. The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery constructed by the Fe/Fe₃C-MWCNT@ACT/S composite (as the cathode) and the Fe/Fe₃C-MWCNT@ACT (as the interlayer) exhibited a superlative cycling stability (over 1000 cycles at 1.0 C), an ultralow capacity decay rate (0.0496% per cycle) and a remarkable specific capacity (1273 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 C). The Fe/Fe₃C-MWCNTs enhanced electrode stability and suppressed polysulfide dissolution during cycling.

Adsorption behavior of Congo red on a carbon material based on humic acid

Humic acid is used as an inexpensive starting material to prepare a strong adsorbent for the removal of Congo red from water.

Litter to Leaf: The Unexplored Potential of Silk Byproducts

Silk has remained the most preferred protein fiber since its discovery in 3000 BC. However, the cost, availability, and resources required to rear the silkworms and process silk are imposing considerable constraints on the future of silk. It is often unrealized that apart from the fibers, production and processing of silk are a source for a diverse range of sustainable, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymers. Hence, delineating itself from being the primary source of protein fibers for millenniums, the silk industry worldwide is transitioning into a biobased industry and as a source for pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, cosmetics, food, and energy. Toward this, byproducts (BPs) and co-products (CPs) that are inevitably generated are now being considered to be of immense economic value and could be up to 10 times more valuable than the silk fibers. Here, we elucidate the properties and potential applications of silk BPs and CPs to present the true potential of silkworms and to promote the establishment of silkworm-based bioeconomy and biorefineries.

Fabrication of mesoporous carbon supported Ni–Mo catalysts for the enhanced conversion of glucose to ethylene glycol

Catalyst composition with 3% Ni and 15% Mo exhibited the highest glucose conversion (100%) and EG yield (63.2%). Synergistic interaction between Ni and acidic sites over Mo is responsible for the selective activity of 3% Ni-15% Mo/MC catalyst.