Disk-like CuS nanoparticles facilitate the photocatalytic conversion of carbonate-rich waste marble-dust to acetic acid under monochromatic green light, offering a green route for carbon upcycling and waste utilization.

Herein, we have synthesized a three-dimensional and hydrophobic graphene incorporated carbon aerogel (G-SCA) derived from sugar. G-SCA is being used as a multifunctional sorbent material for removing various advanced water-soluble and insoluble pollutants. Initially, G-SCA is being explored for the adsorption of nitroarenes (nitrophenols, 3-nitroaniline), an insecticide (Phoskill), an antibiotic (ciprofloxacin), and a pharmaceutical drug precursor (pyridine). Later, the same G-SCA is also explored in the absorption of various protic and aprotic organic solvents, and oils (including crude oil, waste cooking oil, and waste engine oil), with excellent recyclability checked up to 10 cycles. Moreover, oil-water separation experiments are also being done in various industrial wastewater and seawater samples to support the real-life accessibility of the present approach. Large-scale applicability of G-SCA is also checked by performing crude oil-seawater separation experiments using a laboratory-scale prototype demonstrating the successful continuous recovery of crude oil.

Herein, we have synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) particles from the zinc ash generated as waste in the galvanization process in the steel industry, ZnO particles were decorated with copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles, and then further activated by reducing them to get a heterojunction photocatalyst (ZCu@ZnO). Thereafter, ZCu@ZnO is utilized for the photoreduction of carbonate to acetic acid (AcOH) in a HO-water mixture as a hydrogen-rich solvent under the illumination of various light sources. Moreover, various physical and chemical parameters, such as solvent mixture, light sources (monochromatic lights and sunlight), photocatalysts, time, etc., were also optimized to get the maximum yield of AcOH (?0.47 M). The mechanism of photoreduction of carbonate to AcOH is also being proposed based on scavenging experiments of free radicals.

Herein, waste-derived copper (Cu) flakes have been used as heterogeneous catalysts for the solvent-free and one-pot reductive acetamidation of nitroarenes. Metallic copper flakes (f-ZCu) were isolated from waste copper Cu scrap/flakes/turnings generated after the grinding and cutting (from the Cu industries). f-ZCu is being used to synthesize acetanilide with a considerable yield (?82%) in one-step and solvent-free conditions within a reaction time of 6 h. Moreover, the same procedure is also being utilized for producing various substrates (9), including the gram-scale synthesis of the well-known important antipyretic drug, i.e., paracetamol. The plausible mechanism for the reaction was also proposed based on the spectroscopic analyses of spent f-ZCu. © 2024 American Chemical Society.

The global challenge concerning carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion to valuable products is anticipated to execute an essential task towards net zero carbon emissions. Thermal CO2 reduction is advantageous in terms of higher conversion rates, selectivity, and already-established thermal instruments for scalability. However, the method is energy-intensive, a hindrance to sustainably practical adoption. Herein, we present a comprehensive study of H2O2-mediated thermal CO2 conversion in the presence of dendritic zerovalent copper (d-ZCu) in a batch-type reactor, yielding C1 and C2 carbon products, with acetic acid (AcOH) as the major product (achieving an optimized yield of approximately 0.98 M and a selectivity of around 97 % at near ambient conditions of 25–150 °C and 1–15 bar), along with trace amounts of methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH), and carbon monoxide (CO) as a gaseous product. The reaction parameters, including temperature, time, pressure, and concentrations, were optimized to gain better insight into the reaction. To further explore the feasibility of the process, experiments were performed in a continuous flow-packed bed reactor using similar parameters as those in the batch reactor, where CO was identified as the major product of CO2 reduction. For advanced real-life applicability, the as-emitted exhaust gases from diesel and petrol engines, as sources of anthropogenic CO2, were utilized to establish the practical applicability of the proposed method.