Current Green Chemistry - Volume 11, Issue 3, 2024

The design and operation of distillation columns is based on vapor-liquid equilibrium data, which is a necessity for the chemical industry. In recent years, chemical industry has embraced green chemistry and sustainable development. Furthermore, green solvents are more environment-friendly and cleaner than conventional solvents and thus offer a good alternative. Very limited work has been reported in the literature that focuses on the generation of isobaric/isothermal vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data of systems comprising green solvents. In this paper, reported VLE data are explored for three emerging green solvents, such as cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), γ-valerolactone (GVL), and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF). Emerging green solvents have favorable environmental, health, and safety characteristics, making them attractive alternatives for a wide range of applications. The study focuses on two critical separations; the extraction of formic acid from Power-to-X chemical processes and purification of acetic acid from chemical synthesis or fermentation processes. Both processes are integral parts of the chemical industry's sustainable development. To facilitate these separations, accurate VLE data for these green solvents with acetic acid/formic acid systems are essential. The paper reviews literature related to VLE data for systems involving these green solvents. It provides insights into the experimental conditions, equipment, analysis methods, thermodynamic models, and error-minimizing functions used in the previous studies. The researchers can refer to this information as a useful reference prior to the VLE experimentation and modeling of systems comprising these three green solvents. Moreover, the paper presents an overview of recent research on green solvents and their applications, illustrating their versatility and potential for various industrial processes. Research efforts are needed to generate VLE data for green solvent systems and support the chemical industry in transitions towards more sustainable practices.

This comprehensive analysis investigates the current state of development and emerging applications of aerogels and xerogels in wastewater treatment. Aerogels and xerogels, which are characterized by their distinctive porosity architectures and extraordinary material qualities (low density and high surface area), have received much interest in recent years for their potential to transform the field of wastewater treatment. In this study, we present a complete overview of the synthesis processes and structural properties of these materials, highlighting current advancements and innovations. As adsorbents, catalysts, thermal insulation materials, or drug delivery matrices, they have been employed in a number of different disciplines. Aerogels and xerogels have demonstrated their adsorption capability by effectively collecting a wide spectrum of pollutants contained in wastewater. These include the removal of potentially hazardous and deleterious components such as metal ions and organic dyes, which are prevalent in wastewater streams, as well as other organic compounds. Our analysis not only covers the synthesis and applications of aerogels and xerogels, but it also highlights eco-friendly synthesis alternatives, in line with the growing demand for sustainable material preparation methods. Against the backdrop of rising global water concerns, this analysis highlights the promising potential of these materials to play a crucial role in providing sustainable wastewater treatment solutions, thereby establishing a critical future goal.

In addition to the economic losses because of insect pests, a significant part of insect pests can instantly lead to the deterioration and mildew of agricultural products, which all have great hidden hazards to human health. In view of insect pests, the principle means of control and prevention in China is spraying chemical agents. Nevertheless, spraying a large number of chemical factors to control insect pests for a long time will not only have a consequential impact on the ecological environment, but also make insect pests boost resistance, and because a large number of chemical residues on the surface of crops will also have an unfavourable impact on the human body. The detection and application of insecticidal proteins are of great significance for the progress of modern insecticidal science. This article studies the research progress of insecticidal proteins and considering their target pests, lists their common insecticidal utilization scenarios, and anticipates the development direction of insecticidal proteins in the future.

Green synthesized metal nanoparticles offer a broad spectrum of applications. They also offer unmatched significance because they are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and less toxic to human beings. Copper nanoparticles, when synthesized using green protocols, exhibit enriched properties and are substantially used in the preparation of nanofluids, medicine, conductive agents, etc. In this review, we have highlighted how the side effects of synthetic compounds have paved the way to look for greener alternatives in the field of nanomedicine. Green fabrication, characterization, and activities of copper nanoparticles using different biological sources have been extensively studied and reported. The biological sources have been broadly classified into two categories, plant-based and microbial-based. Natural resources are a reservoir of flavonoids, polyphenols, saponins, etc. They act as reducing and stabilizing agents for nanoparticles. Bio-synthesized metal nanoparticles have presented themselves as anti-microbial agents, bioreductors, cytotoxic agents, bioremediators, etc. This review has described the effective utilization of natural resources for synthesizing copper nanoparticles. It also emphasizes the recent developments in this field covering the diverse applications of the same.