Green Chemistry Blog

Green Chemistry is delighted to announce that our latest Editor’s choice collection, Biomass Conversion in Green Chemistry: Key Highlights, is now online and free to access until the end of March 2026.

Guest Edited and curated by our Editorial Board Member Jean-Paul Lange (University of Twente) and our Associate Editor Luigi Vaccaro (University of Perugia).

About this collection

This collection showcases cutting-edge research on biomass utilization and valorisation, emphasizing its pivotal role in advancing sustainable chemical processes. The featured articles explore innovative strategies for converting renewable biomass into high-value chemicals, fuels, and materials, alongside developments in catalytic systems, green solvents, and energy-efficient transformations.

It highlights how biomass can accelerate the transition to a circular economy and low-carbon manufacturing, providing scalable solutions to reduce reliance on fossil resources and mitigate environmental impact.

Read the collection: https://rsc.li/GCBiomass

Collection highlights:

	From waste to resource: advancements in sustainable lignin modification Green Chem., 2024, 26, 4358-4386 DOI: 10.1039/D4GC00745J
	Preparation of homogeneous lignin nanoparticles by efficient extraction of lignin and modification of its molecular structure using a functional deep eutectic solvent containing γ-valerolactone Green Chem., 2024, 26, 4528-4543 DOI: 10.1039/D3GC04897G
	Harnessing the potential of biphasic solvent systems in lignocellulosic biomass fractionation through computational insights Green Chem., 2025, 27, 4094-4127 DOI: 10.1039/D4GC05977H
	Visible light-driven ligand-to-metal charge transfer-mediated selective cleavage of β-O-4 lignin model compounds: a greener route to lignin valorization Green Chem., 2025, 27, 4664-4678 DOI: 10.1039/D5GC00948K

We hope you enjoy reading the articles in this collection. Please get in touch if you have any questions.

Green Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry and RSC Sustainability are delighted to announce that our latest cross journal themed collection, Make polymers sustainable, why and how?, is now online and free to access until the end of April 2026.

Guest Edited by Maiyong Zhu (Jiangsu University), Gerard Lligadas (Universitat Rovira i Virgili), Fiona L. Hatton (Loughborough University), Garret Miyake (Colorado State University), and Antoine Buchard (University of York).

About this Themed Collection

This collection brings together a selection of outstanding reviews, perspectives, papers and communications, which collectively provide a panoramic view of the field’s current vitality. The works range from recycling of polymer wastes, substitution of polymer carbon with oxygen (or sulfur), utilization of biomass to replace petroleum-based polluting polymers, copolymerization of CO2 with other monomers, and converting polymers (either natural or synthetic ones) into platform chemicals.

Read the Editorial: Introduction to “Make polymers sustainable, why and how?”

The collection includes:

	Lignin valorization through microbial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates: recent trends, challenges and opportunities Green Chem., 2025,27, 5920-5946 DOI: 10.1039/D5GC00370A
	Synthesis of cyclic peptide-based [2]rotaxanes via copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition Polym. Chem., 2025,16, 409-414 DOI: 10.1039/D4PY01169D
	High-strength, self-healable, transparent castor-oil-based waterborne polyurethane barrier coatings enabled by a dynamic acylhydrazone co-monomer Green Chem., 2025,27, 2220-2229 DOI: 10.1039/D4GC06103A
	Unravelling the effect of side chain on RAFT depolymerization; identifying the rate determining step Polym. Chem., 2025,16, 1822-1828 DOI: 10.1039/D5PY00212E

Read the Collection: https://rsc.li/SusPol24

We hope you enjoy reading the articles in this collection.

Green Chemistry, Journal of Material Chemistry A, Sustainable Energy & Fuels and RSC Sustainability are delighted to announce that our latest cross journal themed collection on Green and Sustainable Batteries is now online and free to access until the end of January, 2026.

Guest Edited by Magda Titirici (Imperial College London), Rebeca Marcilla (IMDEA Energy Institute), Cristina Pozo-Gonzalo (Institute of Carboquimica ICB-CSIC) and Theresa Schoetz (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).

About this Themed Collection

This themed collection showcases cutting-edge research, advancements, and remaining challenges in realising the holy grail of batteries: sustainable batteries that balance performance, cost and environmental sustainability.  The collection uncovers new research opportunities in this field by featuring multidisciplinary research on alternative battery chemistries,  sustainable electrolytes, sustainability assessment (including assessing materials criticality and its environmental impact), battery recycling, electrodes manufacturing for improved performance, understanding and preventing degradation and improving life time, design for disassembly and technoeconomic assessment among other topics closely fitting to the sustainable battery topic.

Read the Editorial: Introduction to green and sustainable batteries

The collection includes:

	Recent advances in bifunctional carbon-based single-atom electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc–air batteries Green Chem., 2025, 27, 293-324 DOI: 10.1039/D4GC04687K
	A holistic review on the direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries from electrolytes to electrodes Mater. Chem. A, 2024,12, 31685-31716 DOI: 10.1039/D4TA04976D
	Non-woven pitch-based carbon fiber electrodes for low-cost redox flow battery Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2025, 9, 198-207 DOI: 10.1039/D4SE01124D
	From waste to power: utilizing barley husk as a sustainable anode active material alternative to graphite in lithium-ion batteries RSC Sustainability, 2025, 3, 2915-2926 DOI: 10.1039/D5SU00254K

Read the Collection: rsc.li/Batteries24

We hope you enjoy reading the articles in this collection.

Green Chemistry is delighted to announce a call for papers for its latest themed collection on Green Liquids and Solvents, Guest Edited by Zhenzhen Yang (Oak Ridge National Lab, USA), Kecheng Jie (Nanjing University, China) and Jessica Rimsza (Sandia National Laboratories, USA).

About this Themed Collection: 

Sustainable liquid media plays a crucial role in separation, catalysis, energy storage, and beyond, particularly compositions that are biodegradable, non-toxic, renewable, and non-volatile. Ionic liquids (ILs), deep eutectic solvents (DESs), water, supercritical fluids, and bio-based solvents remain at the forefront of green chemistry, demonstrating transformative properties across diverse applications. Beyond their conventional use as single-phase liquid media, recent research has explored innovative strategies to integrate these solvents with other material categories, unlocking new functionalities. A cutting-edge development in this field is the successful engineering of permanent porosities into dense liquid phases forming so-called “porous liquids”, based on ILs, water, and bio-based solvents, enhancing their efficiency in separation and catalysis. In gas storage, the structural design of controllable liquid molecular assemblies has enabled cascade gas trapping in liquid sorbents, significantly outperforming single-component liquid media. This Themed Collection welcomes contributions to recent advances in sustainable liquid technologies, with a particular emphasis on green synthesis strategies, facile fabrication techniques, advanced characterization methods, computational modeling, theoretical frameworks, fundamental structure-function investigations, and cutting-edge applications in separation, catalysis, energy storage, and beyond.

Open for Submissions until 31^st March 2026

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers
• Reviews

How to Submit

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, articles can be submitted via our website: mc.manuscriptcentral.com/gc. We would be grateful if upon submission you would mention that your manuscript is intended for this themed collection as an open call.

Please note that for publication, manuscripts must meet the usual rigorous and high standards for acceptance in the journal, and all submissions will be subject to initial assessment for suitability for a full peer review before a final decision is made. Accepted articles will be published online in a citeable form, included in the web collection and published in an issue as soon as they are ready. We aim to promote the completed collection in 2026.

Green Chemistry is delighted to announce a call for papers for its latest themed collection on Advanced Eco-Manufacturing and Sustainable Bioproducts with Lignocellulosic Biomass, Guest Edited by Arthur Ragauskas (University of Tennessee Knoxville), Jhuma Sadhukhan (University of Surrey), Jeong Jae Wie (Hanyang University) and Chang Geun Yoo (State University of New York).

About this Themed Collection: 

The research featured in this Themed Collection will highlight various innovative chemical pathways for converting lignocellulosic biomass into sustainable, value-added products that promote environmentally responsible industrial practices. The collection will focus on the innovative use of lignocellulosic biomass in eco-manufacturing, particularly the role of forestry, agriculture, and plant residues as renewable raw materials. Bringing together cutting-edge research from diverse fields, including green chemistry, materials science, bioengineering, and industrial manufacturing, this Themed Collection will address both the challenges and opportunities associated with lignocellulosic biomass. By focusing on real-world applications and emerging technologies, it will provide actionable insights to help advance environmentally conscious manufacturing systems and promote sustainable resource use.

The global shift towards sustainable practices in the academic, government, and industrial sectors has sparked growing interest in sustainable and renewable resources. Lignocellulosic materials, derived from forestry, agriculture, and plant residues, have emerged as a central focus for driving eco-manufacturing, securing regional production, rural development, and sustainable innovation. These materials, often viewed as waste or by-products, hold significant potential to be transformed into value-added carbon products that can play a crucial role in achieving sustainability goals.

With the increasing emphasis on environmental impacts across industries, such as packaging, forestry products, construction, transportation, and manufacturing, this special issue aims to explore the latest advancements in emerging bio-derived materials. By utilizing green chemistry principles and innovative manufacturing technologies, these materials can support the development of renewable products, materials, and energy sources.  New chemical principles include (i) tailored biomass fractionation and functionalization, (ii) chemo-enzymatic derivatization for product performance, (iii) electrification of chemical pathways via microwave, ultrasonics, and redox chemistry, (iv) bio composite materials and 3D printing, and (v) sustainable chemicals and fuels.

Open for Submissions until 28th February 2026

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers
• Reviews

How to Submit

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, articles can be submitted via our website: mc.manuscriptcentral.com/gc. We would be grateful if upon submission you would mention that your manuscript is intended for this themed collection as an open call.

Please note that for publication, manuscripts must meet the usual rigorous and high standards for acceptance in the journal, and all submissions will be subject to initial assessment for suitability for a full peer review before a final decision is made. Accepted articles will be published online in a citeable form, included in the web collection and published in an issue as soon as they are ready. We aim to promote the completed collection in 2026.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is delighted to support @LatinXChem, a virtual forum through which the community of Latin American chemists located anywhere in the world can share and discuss their research results and advances. As part of our partnership with this event, several of our journals are part of this cross journal themed collection, that intends to celebrate the excellence and breadth of Latin American research achievements across the chemical sciences.

More information and how to register for the 2024 event can be found here: https://www.latinxchem.org/

All papers included in this themed collection were personally selected by our Guest Editors:

Alan Aguirre Soto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico	Joaquín Barroso Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico	Francisca J. Benitez Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile	Adrián Bonilla Petriciolet Instituto Tecnologico de Aguascalientes, Mexico
Luis Briceño Mena Dow Chemical Company, United States	Yamil Colón University of Notre Dame, United States	Maria A. Fernández-Herrera Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Unidad Mérida, Mexico	Areli Flores Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Colombia
Diego Gamba-Sánchez Universidad de los Andes, Colombia	Laura Hinojosa-Reyes Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico	Ilich A. Ibarra Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico	Carlos Martínez-Huitle Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Miguel Méndez Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico	Gabriel Merino Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Unidad Mérida, Mexico	Elisa Orth Universidade Federal do Parana, Brazil	Braulio Rodríguez-Molina Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico
Liliana Quintanar Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Unidad Zacatenco, Mexico	Galo Soler Universidad Nacional de General San Martín, Argentina	Juliana Vidal Beyond Benign, United States	Aldo Zarbin Universidade Federal do Parana, Brazil