Green chemistry articles within Nature Materials

Featured

• Editorial | 31 October 2023

  Electronics can be more sustainable

  Integrated design assisted by materials and technology innovations can help a transition from traditional to sustainable electronics.

• Article | 26 October 2023

  Calcium-mediated nitrogen reduction for electrochemical ammonia synthesis

  The production of ammonia via the Haber–Bosch process is carbon-intensive and centralized, but electrochemical methods such as lithium-mediated processes in organic electrolytes could enable decentralized production using renewable energy. Calcium is now shown to mediate nitrogen reduction for ammonia synthesis.

  • Xianbiao Fu
  • , Valerie A. Niemann
  •  & Ib Chorkendorff

• Article | 16 December 2019

  Quantitative production of butenes from biomass-derived γ-valerolactone catalysed by hetero-atomic MFI zeolite

  Production of olefins from biomass-derived γ-valerolactone could lead to sustainable chemical processes, but catalysts suffer from deactivation due to water. Here, a MFI-type zeolite doped with Nb(v) and Al(iii) shows >99% yield at 320 °C and catalyst stability over 180 hours.

  • Longfei Lin
  • , Alena M. Sheveleva
  •  & Sihai Yang

• Article | 18 September 2017

  Partial breaking of the Coulombic ordering of ionic liquids confined in carbon nanopores

  The structure of ionic liquids under confinement is not well understood and hinders their widespread use for applications. Convincing evidence of partial breaking of Coulombic ordering of ions confined in subnanometre carbon pores is now provided.

  • Ryusuke Futamura
  • , Taku Iiyama
  •  & Katsumi Kaneko

• Correspondence | 09 November 2015

  Recent progress towards all-renewable electricity supplies

  • Keith Barnham
  • , Kaspar Knorr
  •  & Massimo Mazzer

• Article | 20 February 2014

  Platinum–cobalt bimetallic nanoparticles in hollow carbon nanospheres for hydrogenolysis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

  Although producing 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an attractive way to synthesize renewable fuels, achieving high yields for this reaction has proved difficult. PtCo bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts embedded in hollow carbon nanospheres now show improved catalytic performance for the hydrogenolysis of HMF to DMF (98% yield after 2 hours).

  • Guang-Hui Wang
  • , Jakob Hilgert
  •  & Ferdi Schüth

• Commentary | 21 February 2011

  Managing the scarcity of chemical elements

  The issues associated with the supply of rare-earth metals are a vivid reminder to all of us that natural resources are limited. Japan's Element Strategy Initiative is a good example of a long-term strategy towards the sustainable use of scarce elements.

  • Eiichi Nakamura
  •  & Kentaro Sato

• Commentary | 22 October 2010

  Green carbon as a bridge to renewable energy

  A green use of carbon-based resources that minimizes the environmental impact of carbon fuels could allow a smooth transition from fossil fuels to a sustainable energy economy.

  • James M. Tour
  • , Carter Kittrell
  •  & Vicki L. Colvin