RSC Sustainability Blog

RSC Sustainability is pleased to announce 3 brand new Themed Collections that are open for submissions from 30th October 2023:

1. Energy Materials Redesign, Reuse and Repurpose
2. CO2 Conversion
3. Circular Economy

These collections cover key areas within sustainable chemistry that will be critical to achieving a sustainable future. Each collection is Guest Edited by a member of RSC Sustainability‘s Editorial Board and other leaders in the field. Work that falls within the scope of any of these collections and meets the general requirements for publication in RSC Sustainability is welcomed for consideration.

Energy Materials Redesign, Reuse and Repurpose

Guest Editors: Cristina Pozo-Gonzalo, Bethan Charles, Xiaolei Wang, Erlantz Lizundia

Submission deadline: 30th April 2024

Themed Collection shortcode: SUEnMat24

This collection welcomes submissions on the following topics:

Extraction and separation of critical metals from end-of-life products using selective and sustainable methods (e.g. leaching, electroleaching, membranes, electrowinning)

Recycling of lithium-ion batteries, including developing more efficient methods, and improvements through a sustainability lens (e.g. less solvent usage, milder conditions, economically improved processes)

Recovery of precious, critical and in-demand metals from waste electronics, and industrial waste streams

Solar panel recycling.

Life cycle assessment and sustainability analysis of energy materials recycling.

Waste management and policy, including developing initiatives to promote energy materials recycling.

Advances in green hydrometallurgy, bioleaching and direct recycling.

Selective extraction from spent batteries.

Repurpose: Upcycling spent batteries for catalytic, waste-water and other emerging applications.

CO2 Conversion

Guest Editors: Haichao Liu, Carlos Alemán, John Mondal, Xiao Jiang

Submission Deadline: 14th May 2024

Themed Collection shortcode: SUCO224 

The RSC Sustainability CO₂ Conversion themed collection seeks to publish work on the following topics:

• Catalytic conversion of CO₂, to value-added chemicals or fuels.
• Electrochemical conversion of CO₂
• Photochemical conversion of CO₂
• Biological conversion of CO₂ using algae or bacteria

We welcome submissions that report new or improved methodologies, or that optimise or improve the sustainability of an existing process. We also welcome submissions from industrial and policy, as well as academic, perspectives.

Circular Economy

Guest Editors: Vincent Nyamori, Alice Fan, Matthew Davies, Manie Vosloo

Submission Deadline: 28th May 2024

Themed Collection shortcode: SUCircEc24

This collection is seeking contributions on the following topics:

• Development of chemical processes that are environmentally friendly, including the use of renewable resources, safer solvents, and the reduction or elimination of hazardous chemicals.
• “Benign-by-design” approaches to materials that may be easily recycled or reused.
• The development of more durable or resilient materials from bio-based polymers.
• The evaluation of the environmental impact of materials and processes throughout their entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal or recycling.

We welcome submission from academia, industry and government and regulatory sectors.

Any queries regarding these collections should be directed to the Editorial Office at rscsus-rsc@rsc.org.