Archive for the ‘Meet our Authors’ Category

Green Chemistry Emerging Investigators Series – Daily Rodríguez-Padrón

Green Chemistry is proud to present the Green Chemistry Emerging Investigators Series, showcasing work being conducted by Emerging Investigators. This collection aims to highlight the excellent research being carried out by researchers in the early stages of their independent career from across the breadth of green chemistry. For more information about this series, click here

The most recent contribution to this series, a Paper entitled Orthogonal assisted tandem reactions for the upgrading of bio-based aromatic alcohols using chitin derived mono and bimetallic catalysts (Green Chem., 2024,26, 5221-5238, DOI: 10.1039/D3GC04848A), presents a tandem protocol for the valorisation of renewable alcohols derived from lignocellulosic biomass. The process involves an oxidation step followed by a reductive amination steps. By utilizing custom-made catalytic materials synthesized from renewable biopolymers derived from fishery waste, various aldehydes with potential applications as flavoring molecules were obtained, as well as secondary and tertiary amines that could serve as sustainable intermediates in the pharmaceutical industry. The authors explored the use of mechanochemistry for oxidizing solid alcohols.

Read our interview with the corresponding author below.

How would you set this article in a wider context?

While our primary focus lies in heterogeneous catalysis, this work carries significant implications for the broader context of sustainable chemistry and green technology. Specifically, it has the potential to impact industries involved in synthesizing flavouring molecules and pharmaceutical intermediates. Furthermore, our research aligns with ongoing efforts in biomass valorisation and waste management and reduction. From utilizing lignocellulosic waste via biomass-derived platform molecules as feedstocks to harnessing fishery waste as a renewable carbon and nitrogen source for catalytic material synthesis, our approach spans diverse avenues. Ultimately, this research contributes to global initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of the chemical industry.

 What is the motivation behind this work?

Our main motivation is to offer potential solutions to address the requirements of the European Green Deal. Firstly, we aim to provide more eco-friendly alternatives by reducing or even eliminating the use of hazardous solvents through mechanochemistry. Secondly, we strive to develop safer chemical and technological solutions by utilizing renewable feedstocks and reducing dependency on fossil carbon. This includes employing renewable precursors derived from lignocellulosic waste or fishery waste for synthesizing chemicals and catalytic materials, respectively, thereby contributing to waste reduction.

What aspects of this work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about it?

One aspect of this work that excites me the most is that we were able to conduct the oxidation reaction using air as the oxidizing agent, without pressurizing the autoclave reactors. This offers clear advantages for both safety and cost-efficiency of the protocol, potentially facilitating its scalability. Additionally, I’m thrilled about being able to perform the oxidation reaction under continuous-flow mechanochemical conditions in a twin-screw extruder, in this case using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent, but under solvent-free conditions. This provides another sustainable alternative for oxidizing solid benzyl-type alcohols. On the other hand, one of the most challenging aspects has been controlling the selectivity of the reductive amination step towards the desired products, an area we are continuously working on improving.

 

 

What is the next step? What work is planned?

This work has indeed sparked numerous new avenues for our ongoing research, particularly concerning the reductive amination of carbonyl-containing products and the potential applications in mechanochemistry. The use of green reducing agents for reduction and reductive amination reactions in mechanochemistry remains largely unexplored in the literature, posing a significant challenge. Nevertheless, we are highly motivated by some promising preliminary results in this area, although there is still much work to be done. It’s an exciting journey ahead!

Please describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher

My journey, as a Latin-American woman, to becoming an independent researcher has been filled with challenges, but it has been incredibly rewarding. From earning my bachelor’s degree in chemistry in Havana to completing my Ph.D. in Spain, and undertaking research stays in various universities across Europe, each experience has shaped me as a scientist and as a person. While relocating from my home country to Spain to pursue my Master’s and PhD degrees was one of the most challenging decisions I’ve made, it proved pivotal in shaping my academic trajectory.

Currently, I hold a post-doctoral position as a Marie-Curie Fellow at Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Italy, under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Cofund Grant Agreement No. 945361. Throughout my career, I have undertaken research stays at various institutions, including Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria and Università degli Studi di Messina in Italy, as well as PSL Research University, Chimie ParisTech CNRS, in France. Additionally, I have gained valuable experience through research stays at Deasyl SA in Switzerland and KelAda Pharmachem Ltd. in Dublin, Ireland.

My research interests have been deeply rooted in the realm of materials science for different applications, with a strong emphasis on sustainability. My core objectives are to spearhead a transformative shift in the synthesis of materials. To tackle these goals, my approach centres on mechanochemistry and sustainable precursors to develop green and scalable protocols for tailoring nanomaterials with improved performance. In this line, I am dedicated to the use of wastes as a strategy to design new materials while enabling waste management and aligning with the circular economy.

Apart from the scientific challenges I eagerly embrace on a daily basis, one of the most daunting aspects I have faced has been navigating bureaucracy, especially coming from a Latin American country like Cuba. Yet, amidst these obstacles, I’ve been fortunate, especially to have crossed paths with remarkable individuals, mentors, and colleagues throughout my journey in every place I’ve been.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

If I could offer one piece of advice to fellow early-career scientists, it would be to embrace interdisciplinary collaborations. The most groundbreaking solutions often emerge from crossing disciplinary boundaries and exploring new perspectives. I am truly fortunate to have collaborated with outstanding scientists who have enriched my scientific knowledge and experience. Their expertise and insights have significantly contributed to my growth and development as a researcher.

Moreover, at this stage of my career, I’m increasingly engaged with students, something I find deeply fulfilling. For example, in the case of this contribution, collaborating with Francesco Zorzetto, who was once my student and is now my colleague, was truly an amazing experience. I can confidently say that I learned a great deal from him while working on this project. One key lesson that I consistently share with my students is that encountering negative results is normal: it’s part of the life of a researcher. What matters is perseverance, seeking alternatives, and returning to the laboratory the next day with renewed enthusiasm. Because perseverance and passion for what we do always yield rewards in the end.

Why did you choose to publish in Green Chemistry?

Choosing to publish in Green Chemistry was a no-brainer for me. It’s a prestigious journal known for its commitment to environmentally friendly chemical processes, which aligns perfectly with my research focus on sustainability.

Meet the author

Daily Rodríguez-Padrón is a Marie-Curie Post-Doctoral researcher at Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Italy (Marie Sklodowska-Curie Cofund Grant Agreement No. 945361). She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Havana, Cuba, in 2013, and completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cordoba, Spain, in 2020. In April 2020, she joined KelAda Pharmachem Ltd (Dublin, Ireland) as a visiting postdoctoral researcher, contributing to the Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) RISE project titled GreenX4Drug. Dr Rodríguez-Padrón has undertaken research stays in esteemed universities, including the Universita degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria and the Università degli Studi di Messina in Italy, as well as the PSL Research University, Chimie ParisTech CNRS, in France. She serves on the Editorial Board of Sustainable Chemistry and has been invited as a Guest Editor for various journals, including Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, Topics in Current Chemistry, and Nanomaterials. Dr Rodríguez-Padrón has been laureated with the Dan David Prize 2019 in the field of Combatting Climate Change from Tel-Aviv University in Israel and the Green Talent Award 2020 from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Her research primarily focuses on mechanochemistry, biomass valorisation, heterogeneous catalysis, and sustainability.

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Green Chemistry Emerging Investigators Series – Xiao-Jun Ji

Green Chemistry is proud to present the Green Chemistry Emerging Investigators Series, showcasing work being conducted by Emerging Investigators. This collection aims to highlight the excellent research being carried out by researchers in the early stages of their independent career from across the breadth of green chemistry.  For more information about this series, click here

The most recent contribution to this series, a Paper entitled Constructing a green oleaginous yeast cell factory for sustainable production of the plant-derived diterpenoid sclareol (DOI: 10.1039/D3GC04949C), presents a green, sustainable and efficient microbial synthesis of plant-derived sclareol through the construction of an oleaginous yeast cell factory. Sclareol is an important starting material for the synthesis of ambroxan, and it relies heavily on traditional plant extraction. At present, ambroxan is widely used to replace the ambergris extracted from the endangered sperm whales.

Read our interview with the corresponding author below.

How would you set this article in a wider context?

The sclareol chassis strain here constructed paves the way towards a sustainable, large-scale fermentation-based manufacturing of other diterpenoid compounds. The findings of this study not only demonstrate the significant potential of microbial synthesis as an alternative pathway for generating structurally complex chemicals but also establish a model for the sustainable industrial production of other valuable terpenoids.

What is the motivation behind this work?

Ambergris is a waxy substance secreted from sperm whales and has a long history of use in perfume. Sclareol is an important synthetic raw material for ambergris substitute ambroxan. However, the major sources of sclareol still rely heavily on traditional plant extraction and the low concentration of sclareol in the plant as part of a complex mixture, requires laborious and costly purification processes. Alternatively, the rapid development of synthetic biology has enabled microorganisms to emerge as potential alternatives to conventional methods for sclareol production. Therefore, we choose the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica as the ideal platform for sustainable production of plant-derived sclareol.

What aspects of this work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about it?

With the elaborate design of the sclareol biosynthesis pathway and tight regulation of cell metabolism, we finally achieved highest titer of microbial sclareol, this was the most excited aspects of the entire work. The most challenging is how to well control the synthesis of unwanted byproducts caused by metabolic imbalance. We first engineered plant enzymes to improve their catalytic activity in Yarrowia lipolytica, then constructed scaffold-free multienzyme complexes with the peptide pair RIDD and RIAD to significantly alleviate the metabolic imbalance and decrease the synthesis of byproducts.

What is the next step? What work is planned?

We would like to conduct a follow-up research with further optimization of metabolic network, such as extending cytosolic acetyl-CoA pool by regulating the lipid metabolism, engineering secretion systems through specific transporter identification, and enhancing the supply cofactor NADPH. In addition, we will further achieve the production of other high-value terpenoid compounds in the oleaginous yeast chassis.

Please describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher

My academic career began after I graduated from the undergraduate program and continued my graduate studies at Nanjing Tech University, China. The transformation from a novice in scientific research to an independent researcher was due to the guidance of three supervisors. The first supervisor is Prof. He Huang, who directed my doctoral thesis at the Jiangsu Provincial Innovation Center for Industrial Biotechnology. As one of the first batch graduate students of Prof. He Huang, I received his meticulous guidance step by step, from specific experimental operations to control of the developing trends of the entire bioindustry. Thanks to his helpful cultivation, my doctoral thesis won the National Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Nomination Award of China. The second supervisor is Prof. Pingkai Ouyang, who directed my postdoctoral research at the National Research Center for Biotechnology. It was Prof. Pingkai Ouyang who taught me to dig deep into the details and try to be unique in scientific research. The third supervisor is Prof. Jens Nielsen, who was my supervisor when I was conducting visiting research at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. It was Prof. Jens Nielsen who made me understand the convenience of focusing on a certain microorganism to carry out scientific research and the importance for creating my own academic label. During my visiting researches in his laboratory, I gained a lot of experience in yeast synthetic biology, and further strengthened my training as a biochemical engineer and broadened my interdisciplinary research experiences. These educational and collaborative experiences taught me how to run and effectively manage a laboratory, how to design research projects, and ultimately trained me to become an independent researcher specializing in “synthetic biology driven biomanufacturing”.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

I want to share with you George Bernard Shaw’s famous quote about sharing apple: If you have an apple and I have an apple, and we exchange apples, we both still only have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea, and we exchange ideas, we each now have two ideas.

Why did you choose to publish in Green Chemistry?

Green Chemistry is a top-tier, highly respected journal with a broad readership all over the world. This journal provides a unique forum for the publication of innovative research on the development of alternative green and sustainable technologies. Our present article is highly compatible with this scope. Therefore, we have an idea of publishing our work in this prestigious journal.

Meet the author

Prof. Xiao-Jun Ji received his BSc and PhD from Nanjing Tech University in 2005 and 2009, and conducted the visiting research in the Systems and Synthetic Biology lab headed by Professor Jens Nielsen at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, during 2016 and 2017. He has received many awards such as the Fok Ying-Tung Foundation Young Scholars Award (2014), the National Technological Invention Award of China (2018), the Excellent Young Scholars of National Natural Science Foundation of China (2019), the Newton Advanced Fellowships of the Royal Society (2020), etc. His recent research focuses on bio-manufacturing of pharmaceutical and nutritional chemicals using the non-conventional yeast through metabolic engineering and the emerging synthetic biology tools.

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Green Chemistry Emerging Investigators Series – Jun Xiang

Green Chemistry is proud to present the Green Chemistry Emerging Investigators Series, showcasing work being conducted by Emerging Investigators. This collection aims to highlight the excellent research being carried out by researchers in the early stages of their independent career from across the breadth of green chemistry.  For more information about this series, click here

The most recent contribution to this series, a communication article entitled A facile, general, and modular synthetic approach to biomass-based diols (DOI: 10.1039/D3GC03296E), introduces a novel method for synthesizing structurally diverse biomass-based diols (BDOs) in a facile and general manner. By providing access to BDOs without the need for catalysts and using mild reaction conditions, this method aims to advance the development of sustainable materials and promote the transition from petroleum-based to biomass-based chemicals.

The motivation behind this work was to develop a more efficient and sustainable method for biomass-based diols. The ultimate goal is to foster the advancement of sustainable materials, thus promoting a more eco-friendly and sustainable future.

Read our interview with the corresponding author below.

What aspects of this work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about it?

I’m excited about the establishment of a powerful approach towards the production of diols derived from biomass. This approach enables us to synthesize diols with analogous structures, thereby expediting our discovery of key performance-affecting factors and facilitating the fabrication of high-performance biomass-based materials.

The challenging aspect lies in pushing this technology from the lab side into the market and achieving the goal of replacing petroleum-based materials on a large scale.

What is the next step? What work is planned?

Our research group is deeply concerned with the efficiency and safety of material preparation, as well as the recyclability of as-prepared materials. In our future research efforts, we plan to design and synthesize biomass-based diols possessing unique functionalities, endowing their derived materials with exceptional durability and recyclability, and thus reducing the adverse impact on the environment.

Please describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

My scholarly journey commenced as a postgraduate student at the State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering at Sichuan University (SCU), Sichuan Province, China. It was during my doctoral studies at the University of Sherbrooke (UdeS) in Quebec, Canada, under the supervision of Prof. Yue Zhao, that I honed my expertise and skills. At UdeS, I engaged in pioneering work involving the design, synthesis, and biomedical applications of advanced functional materials derived from photo-responsive polymers. Seeking to further strengthen my training as a chemist and broaden my interdisciplinary research experiences, I embarked on a research endeavour within the laboratory of Prof. Haojun Fan at SCU, where I was acquainted with the realm of biomass-based polymeric materials and their environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes. These educational and collaborative experiences taught me how research labs work, how projects are conducted and how the lab is managed, and ultimately trained me to work as an independent researcher specializing in “biomass-based energy and materials”.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

“Choosing an important problem.”

Why did you choose to publish in Green Chemistry?

Green Chemistry is a top-tier, highly respected journal in Chemistry with a broad readership and followers all over the world. This journal encourages the design and synthesis of safer chemicals, the use of renewable resources, and the minimization of waste and pollution. Our current article aligns perfectly with the scope of this journal; hence it has inspired me to publish our work in this prestigious journal.

Meet the author

Jun Xiang is an Associate Professor in the College of Biomass Science and Engineering at Sichuan University. He currently works on developing more efficient and eco-friendly methods to accelerate the substitution of petroleum-based chemicals with biomass feedstocks. Dr Xiang earned his MSE from Sichuan University in 2013 and later completed a PhD in chemistry at the University of Sherbrooke in 2018, supported by the merit scholarship program provided by FRQNT. His professional journey commenced in December 2018. Starting in 2022, he became a committee member at ACS South western China Chapter and leads the subject of biomass-based energy and materials.

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Open for Nominations: Green Chemistry Emerging Investigator themed collection

Green Chemistry is delighted to announce a call for papers for its latest Emerging Investigators Series. This themed collection aims to highlight the excellent research being carried out by researchers in the early stages of their independent career from across the breadth of green chemistry. This themed collection is an invitation-only initiative, with nominations curated by our Editorial Office. We will however consider additional applications and nominations on their own merit, and we encourage the green chemistry community to send in their nominees. Self-nominations are welcome!

The Green Chemistry Editorial Office will contact nominated Emerging Investigators throughout the year.

Regarding eligibility, contributors must:

  • Publish research within the scope of the journal.
  • Have completed their PhD.
  • Be actively pursuing an independent research career.
  • Be at an early stage of their independent career (typically this will be within 15 years of completing their PhD, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break or followed a different career path).

To best meet the needs of our contributing authors, there will be no fixed submission deadlines. Accepted articles will be published online in a citeable form, included in the web collection and collated in an online issue as soon as they are ready. We aim to promote all the papers and authors periodically.

By contributing as a corresponding author, the researchers will be internationally recognised as outstanding emerging scientists in the field. This collection provides an excellent opportunity to raise their profile and visibility in the community, and a short profile of each researcher will also be featured in the journal.

How to nominate

Nominations must be made via email to green-rsc@rsc.org including the following information of the nominee:

  • Full name
  • Current affiliation
  • Current email address
  • Researcher/group website (optional)

If you have any questions or queries about the lectureship, please contact us at green-rsc@rsc.org

We look forward to receiving your nomination!

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Featuring our paper: “The sustainability impact of Nobel Prize Chemistry: life cycle assessment of C–C cross-coupling reactions”

Published in Issue 25 and highlighted by Prof. Javier Pérez-Ramírez (Editorial Board Chair) and Dr. Michael Rowan (Executive Editor) for inclusion in our 25th Anniversary Collection, “The sustainability impact of Nobel Prize Chemistry: life cycle assessment of C–C cross-coupling reactionspaper is already receiving a great deal of attention in the community (DOI: 10.1039/D3GC01896B).

The paper presents a comprehensive study based on life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental profiles of carbon-carbon cross-coupling reaction (CCR) in terms of the materials involved and their energy consumption.

Cross-coupling reaction protocols are among the most important reactions for the synthesis of building blocks, and their great significance led to them being awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010. The objectives and value of this study were to evaluate the intrinsic potential of CCR protocols through LCA-based environmental assessment and to demonstrate that creation of large initial innovation likely multiplies to massive literature impact in the years after. The motivation behind this work was to help future innovations to be even more powerful with the authors hoping that this study will contribute to the improvement and optimization of future CCR research.

Read our interview with the corresponding authors below.

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article?

Life cycle assessment was conducted for the Nobel Prize of Chemistry 2010, inventing the C-C cross coupling, which was seminal for modern synthesis of innovative chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It was aimed to assess the original strategy only, and not how it was improved in the almost four decades after, separating idea and translation of idea.

How would you set this article in a wider context?

Sustainability is typically measured when innovations turn into applications, meaning one decade or more later. This also mean that the industrial translation of the innovation is assessed, rather than the innovation itself. We have developed an intrinsic sustainability assessment of the innovation itself, exemplified at the paramount Nobel Prize innovations.

Can you express your view on the importance of metrics and analysis (techno, economic, ecological, etc) to the chemistry community?

While metrical analysis can judge on the sustainability achievement of a chemical innovation after its demonstration, we see the true value in the assessment shaping a chemical idea during its nascence and guiding it in its early moments.

What aspects of this work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about it?

Knowing that Nobel Prize innovations have highest esteem and demand for ultimate seriousness in discussion, we are excited to arguably have made an informative and balanced assessment. Challenging was to separate intrinsic and extrinsic effects, seeing that we need to neglect the chemical yield for the first, while this is crucial value for any chemical synthesis and its metrics.

What is the next step? What work is planned?

We like to make a follow-up paper with more generalised methodology, meaning tailored metrics for intrinsic value of innovations; published in Green Chemistry journal. In addition we will aim to assess precise challenging real world molecules that have been prepared using this idea.

Why did you choose to publish in Green Chemistry?

It is a top-tier, highly respected journal in Chemistry, open for cross-discipline, blue sky research, and has transparent, professional journal management.

Meet the corresponding authors.  

Prof. Volker Hessel studied chemistry at Mainz University. In 1994, he went to the Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH. In 2002, he was appointed as vice director of R&D at IMM and became director of R&D in 2007 and in 2005, he started working at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands. He has been working at the University of Adelaide, Australia, as deputy dean (research) at the ECMS faculty and professor in pharmaceutical engineering since 2018, and as a part-time professor University of Warwick/UK since 2019.

Volker received the AIChE Excellence in Process Development Research Award, IUPAC ThalesNano Prize in Flow Chemistry. He is program lead in the ARC Centre of Excellence Plants for Space (P4S), and is Research Director of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources. He received several EU’s research excellence grants (ERC Advanced/Proof of Concept/Synergy, FET OPEN). He was authority in a 35-teamed Parliament Enquete Commission “Future Chemical Industry”.

Prof. Luigi Vaccaro is a Full Professor at the University of Perugia where he is leading the Green S.O.C. group, http://greensoc.chm.unipg.it. He is Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and he is currently appointed as Associate Editor of the RSC Advances and of Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry. His recognitions comprise the Europa Medal from the Society of Chemical Industry – London (2001), the ADP Award from Merck’s Chemistry Council for “Creative work in organic chemistry” (2006 and 2007), the G. Ciamician Medal of the Società Chimica Italiana (2007), the Lady Davis (2018) Visiting Professorship, the Pino Medal from the Organic and Industrial Divisions of the Italian Chemical Society. His research is aimed at developing different aspects of chemistry to define sustainable and optimized chemical processes. Luigi has published over 260 scientific contributions with an H-index of 58, and about 9000 citations.

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Magdalena Titirici speaks to Chemistry World about her research on biowaste conversion

Magdalena Titirici is interviewed in Chemsitry Word

Magdalena Titirici speaks to Green Chemistry Deputy Editor Anna Simpson in a recent Chemistry World interview.

Magdalena joined the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary, University of London, UK, as a reader in materials science at the beginning of 2013. Before that, she spent over six years leading the sustainable materials for renewable energy group at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany. Research in the Titirici group involves trying to create porous carbon materials from renewable resources such as lignin, cellulose and chitin, as well municipal and agricultural wastes.

Click here to read the interview with her in Chemistry World, where she discusses her not only her research, but also her love of photography, street art and the electronic music scene!

Some of Magdalena’s most recent Green Chemistry papers are listed below. We’ve made these papers free to access for the next 2 weeks, so click on the links below to find out more about Magdalena’s research…

Original design of nitrogen-doped carbon aerogels from sustainable precursors: application as metal-free oxygen reduction catalysts, Nicolas Brun, Stephanie A. Wohlgemuth, Petre Osiceanu and Magdalena M. Titirici, Green Chem., 2013,15, 2514-2524, DOI: 10.1039/C3GC40904J

A one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of sulfur and nitrogen doped carbon aerogels with enhanced electrocatalytic activity in the oxygen reduction reaction, Stephanie-Angelika Wohlgemuth, Robin Jeremy White, Marc-Georg Willinger, Maria-Magdalena Titirici and Markus Antonietti, Green Chem., 2012,14, 1515-1523, DOI: 10.1039/C2GC35309A

A one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of tunable dual heteroatom-doped carbon microspheres, Stephanie-Angelika Wohlgemuth, Filipe Vilela, Maria-Magdalena Titirici and Markus Antonietti, Green Chem., 2012,14, 741-749, DOI: 10.1039/C2GC16415A

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Meet our Authors: Cinzia Chiappe

Photo of Cinzia ChiappeCinzia Chiappe is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Pisa, Italy.  Her research interests primarily focus on ionic liquids and their biological and physic chemical properties.  The ultimate goal of her research is to design optimised ionic liquids as solvents and/or catalysts for sustainable chemical reactions.  Cinzia took a few moments to chat to Green Chemistry

Who or what initially inspired you to become a chemist?

During my studies I was at first attracted by mathematics and biology and I thought I would become a “biologist”. Subsequently, in the last years of high school, my interest moved towards the single mechanisms that determine and govern the life on this planet. I discovered my interest for “molecules” and their interaction ability and so I decided to study chemistry. I therefore became an Organic Chemist.

What has been the motivation behind your recent research?

As an organic chemist, I studied reactivity and reaction mechanisms. At the beginning of this century (1999-2000), I discovered the fascinating world of ionic liquids and immediately I was attracted by these compounds for the copious challenges and potentialities that they offer to a researcher involved in “organic reactivity”. The subsequent step, from ionic liquids to “green chemistry”, was only a short step.

What do you see as the main challenges facing research in this area?

The main challenges are related to the possibility of resolving some strategic problems for this society, i.e. the depletion of our principal source of energy and organic compounds (fossil fuels) as well as the depletion of other important primary materials (some metals and metal salts).

Where do you see the field of green chemistry being in 5 or 10 years time?

I think that green chemistry and the application of its principles in different areas (energy, material sciences, waste disposal and so on) can become a strategic approach (probably, the only one) to overcome the problems characterizing this “small” planet with “many” inhabitants and “few” resources. Of course, small, many and few are strictly related quantities.

If you could not be a scientist, but could be anything else, what would you be?

I don’t know, but probably an “archistar” – a superstar architect.

Take a look at a few of Cinzia’s recent Green Chemistry articles below – all free to access:

A dramatic effect of the ionic liquid structure in esterification reactions in protic ionic media, Cinzia Chiappe, Sunita Rajamani and Felicia D’Andrea, Green Chem., 2013, 15, 137-143

Synthesis and properties of trialkyl(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)phosphonium salts, a new class of hydrophilic and hydrophobic glyceryl-functionalized ILs, Fabio Bellina, Cinzia Chiappe and Marco Lessi, Green Chem., 2012, 14, 148-155

Styrene oxidation by hydrogen peroxide in ionic liquids: the role of the solvent on the competition between two Pd-catalyzed processes, oxidation and dimerization, Cinzia Chiappe, Angelo Sanzone and Paul J. Dyson, Green Chem., 2011, 13, 1437-1441*

Keep up-to-date with the latest content in Green Chemistry by registering for our free table of contents alerts.

*Article free to access until the 13th February 2013.

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Meet our Authors: François Jérôme

Picture of François JérômeFrançois Jérôme is a research director at the CNRS University of Poitiers, France.  His research is focused on the catalytic activation of biomass and the subsequent conversion of the products to value-added chemicals.  François took a few moments to chat to Green Chemistry to talk about the challenges facing this field of research…

Who or what initially inspired you to become a chemist?

When I was a kid, I was very curious and I always wanted to have a rational explanation on many natural phenomena such as volcanoes, earthquakes, storms, space, etc… Later, when I entered the University, I had the chance to attend the courses of Prof. Pierre Dixneuf. During three consecutive years, he taught me with enthusiasm and passion catalysis and organometallic chemistry. His courses really gave me the taste of chemistry.

What has been the motivation behind your recent research?

The depletion of fossil carbon reserves together with the continuous increase of the barrel price requires the society to imagine and design new and innovative strategies. In this context, fascinating works have recently been proposed that now open new fields to be explored in chemistry. In particular, the synthesis of fine chemicals and chemical platforms from non-edible resources has become a fascinating topic. Beside the green aspect of this approach, the biggest challenge faced by chemists consists in designing bio-based chemicals with superior performances than fossil-derived chemicals while respecting the essential requirements of economic competitiveness and social progress. The concept of green chemistry has dramatically changed the way we work and driven us to think about chemistry differently. In particular, the design of an atom economical or energy-saving process is not self-satisfied anymore and major other issues of green chemistry need to be addressed such as supply of renewable raw materials, structural variability of biomass, which plants for which markets, biodiversity, resource management (water, metal, carbon) and environmental impact of processes. All of these considerations are really motivating mainly because the successful design of a “green process” obviously requires close collaborations between researchers with different scientific horizons.

What do you see as the main challenges facing research in this area?

Click here to read the full interview

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Meet our Authors: Ken-ichi Shimizu

Ken-ichi Shimizu is an Associate Professor of Catalysis Research Center at Hokkaido University, Japan. His research projects focus on heterogeneous catalysis for green organic reactions and automotive emission control. Ken-ichi kindly spared Green Chemistry a few moments to talk about his work…

Who or what initially inspired you to become a chemist?

In my childhood and youth I would see my father working as an eel farmer in front of my house. Farming is a kind of empirical science for improvement of the yield and quality of the products, and a working hypothesis is refined by the accumulation of empirical facts. Until I reached undergraduate level, chemistry was not a very attractive subject for me because I could not find the concept of hypothesis in the textbook. During my master and doctoral works at Nagoya University, I discovered experimental chemistry in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. Discussions with my supervisors and students as well as the accumulation of empirical facts lead to correction or revision of the hypothesis of reaction mechanism. This experience made me a chemist.

What was the motivation behind the research described in your recent Green Chemistry article? (Green Chem., 2012, 14, 984-991)

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Meet our Authors: Liang-Nian He

Liang-Nian He Liang-Nian He is a Professor at Nankai University in China.  His research interests current revolve around carbon dioxide (CO2) chemistry (capture and utilization) and sustainable synthetic chemistry.  Liang-Nian He kindly took a few moments to chat to Green Chemistry

Who or what initially inspired you to become a chemist?

The life of an academic is simple and straightforward and I enjoy working in an academic environment. I became interested in learning chemistry at the age of 12 in junior high school, which aroused my curiosity to know what happens behind such phenomena such as combustion of magnesium in oxygen, and the color change in the acid-base reaction. However, there was very little science education at that time. When I continued my college education, chemistry was taught formally, and my interest developed further. I was so fascinated by the nature of matter and had such a strong passion to understand all the interesting things in nature at the molecular level. Chemistry is such a powerful tool that can create almost anything you want. Accordingly, I definitely pursue a career in the field of chemistry when I was conscious of fundamental importance of chemistry to our society from drugs to dyes, from food to clothing.

What has been the motivation behind your recent research?

Chemical utilization of CO2 as a feedstock, promoter or reaction media for producing materials and fuels is attractive as an integral part of the carbon cycle. In particular, establishing large-scale production using CO2 in industry would be a fascinating dream for synthetic chemists. I am very grateful to Professor Toshiyasu Sakakura (National Institute of Advanced Industry Science and Technology, Japan) for introducing me to this emerging state of the art and exciting field of chemistry.

What do you see as the main challenges facing research in this area?

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