Global Climate News

Japan-based Green Science Alliance has developed a sustainable method to produce Metal Organic Framework (MOF) from waste PET bottles. The company used terephthalic acid from recycled PET and a solid-state synthesis procedure to reduce production costs. This sustainable MOF will be used in rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, and CO2 capture.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) opened new funding (DE-FOA-0003504) for small businesses to develop innovative clean energy technologies, focusing on hydrogen and fuel cells. Phase I grants can reach $200,000, and Phase II grants up to $1 million.

US-based researchers at MIT have been awarded the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for their work in various fields, including developing novel materials for solar cells and batteries, researching anesthesia's effects on the brain, creating thin films for drug delivery, and developing CRISPR genome-editing technology. Their innovations have significant implications for energy, medicine, and healthcare.

US-based researchers have conducted a techno-economic analysis of natural and stimulated geological hydrogen production, estimating costs at $0.54/kg and $0.92/kg respectively under optimal conditions. The study highlights hydrogen purity and production flow rates as primary cost drivers. Companies like Hydroma and Gold Hydrogen are exploring natural geological hydrogen.

Switzerland-based Climeworks has shared its 2024 milestones including the inauguration of Mammoth (world's largest Direct Air Capture plant), Project Cypress development in Louisiana, launch of Climeworks Solutions portfolio offering, certification under Puro Standard, and unveiling of Generation 3 technology. The company's Project Cypress, awarded USD 50 million by U.S. DOE, aims to capture 1 million tons of CO₂ annually when complete. The new Generation 3 technology promises to reduce carbon removal costs by up to 50% compared to current costs.

India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) conducted a webinar on \"Biomanufacturing of Enzymes,\" a key area under the BioE3 Policy aimed at making India a global leader in bio-based innovations. The webinar involved discussions on advancements and opportunities in enzyme biomanufacturing, a sustainable process replacing chemical catalysts with eco-friendly alternatives. Experts discussed strategies to boost indigenous enzyme discovery, scale up production, and leverage technologies like synthetic biology and AI/ML for high-titer enzyme production.

US-based Bezos Earth Fund, in partnership with Experiment Foundation, announced the winners and finalists of its $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize. The prize, structured in two phases, awarded funding to projects focusing on diverse greenhouse gas removal technologies, aiming to significantly contribute towards removing gigatonnes of greenhouse gases annually by 2050.

Researchers have synthesized and characterized a new iron(III)-hydroperoxo complex that shows promise for developing novel catalysts. The complex demonstrates both electrophilic and nucleophilic reactivity without cleaving the O-O bond, offering potential applications in sustainable catalysis and biomimetic systems.

Estonia-based UP Catalyst has achieved the lowest carbon footprint for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and one of the lowest for battery-grade graphite. Their cradle-to-gate LCA, conducted by Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and reviewed by Bureau Veritas, shows a potential to reach 0.7 kg of CO₂-eq/kg for CNTs and 0.07 kg of CO₂-eq/kg for graphite in large-scale production using green electricity. UP Catalyst uses CO2 emissions as feedstock and plans to construct a large industrial facility by the end of 2030.

Researchers have developed a new carbon anode material for sodium-ion batteries using low-cost anthracite and boron quantum dots. The novel material demonstrates high discharge capacity, reversible capacity, and superior long-term cycling stability over 1000 cycles, representing a significant advancement in energy storage technology.

A scientific review has examined the synthesis process of single-atom catalysis (SACs), focusing on substance migration's role in metal loading and electronic structure manipulation. The research provides insights into thermodynamics and kinetic processes, outlining the migration behavior of metal and nonmetal species to guide future catalyst design.

Researchers have developed enhanced Fe-based catalysts through transition metal doping (Mn, Co, Cu, Zn) for photothermal CO2 hydrogenation. The study demonstrated improved catalyst performance, with CoFe achieving C2+ yield of 1.73 mmol·h-1·g-1 and ZnFe doubling CO2 conversion under irradiation conditions. The research provides new insights into using transition metal promoters for CO2 conversion applications.

France and Italy-based McPhy Energy and the University of Florence signed a joint laboratory and research partnership agreement to enhance the performance and safety of McPhy’s green hydrogen production technologies. The collaboration will leverage UNIFI’s expertise to improve McPhy’s electrolyzer technology, including its latest generation of XL cells for a 4-5 MW electrolyzer launching in 2025.

Researchers have developed a novel Z-scheme 2D/3D heterojunction photocatalyst (g-C3N4/Bi2WO6 OVs) that achieves over 90% degradation rate of tetracycline in water treatment applications. The new material demonstrates enhanced photocatalytic activity and presents an effective method for solar fuel conversion and water treatment.

Researchers have developed an improved method for producing hydrogen peroxide using electrochemically activated carbon materials as catalysts. The modified carbon electrodes achieved nearly 100% selectivity in hydrogen peroxide production at industrial-scale current density, demonstrating significant potential for clean chemical production processes.

Chinese researchers from Jiangsu University, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed an enhanced catalyst for CO2 conversion. The team created an ohmic contact between SnS2 and MXene materials through Ti-O-Sn chemical bonds, achieving 10.4 times higher photoreduction CO2 activity compared to the original SnS2 catalyst.

Researchers have developed an enhanced double halide perovskite material (Cs2NaInCl6) with improved photoluminescence properties through Sb3+ and Mn2+ co-doping. The material demonstrates temperature-dependent color changes and can be integrated into fibers, making it suitable for photovoltaics, temperature sensing, and flexible display applications. The innovation offers improved stability and efficiency for sustainable lighting and sensing technologies.

China-based researchers from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture have developed and tested a combined treatment method for removing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from surface water. The process integrates nanoscale zero-valent iron-activated persulfate pre-oxidation with conventional water treatment and nanofiltration, achieving over 99% removal efficiency of these harmful pollutants from drinking water sources.

The research introduced a piezo-self-Fenton system using Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets modified with Ag and CoOx as piezocatalysts, achieving a 2.25 times higher yield of H2O2 under ultrasound stimuli compared to pristine Bi4Ti3O12. The system demonstrated high degradation performance for organic pollutants, with a RhB degradation rate 3.45 times higher than piezocatalytic degradation without Fe2+.

Research has demonstrated the combination of gold nanoparticles and polyoxometalates (POMs) for multielectron transformations, with applications in catalysis and electronics. The study focuses on the interaction between gold-based materials and various POM structures including Lindqvist, Anderson-Evans, and Keggin-type configurations, showing potential for advanced materials development.