Piper auritum (hierba santa) is an aromatic plant native to the Americas that grows from northern South America to Mexico. Its essential oil has important secondary metabolites including phenylpropanoids such...
With an average of three tests per day, an estimated 591 billion glucose test strips are used globally each year. The rising prevalence of chronic diseases and the growth of self-measurement, quantified self, and biohacking movements are driving increased demand for electrochemical strips, underscoring the need for sustainable manufacturing and disposal strategies. This paper focuses on the working electrode while also addressing the reference electrode, strip production, and recyclability considerations. Novel working electrode materials, including carbon nanomaterials, MXenes, and green-synthesized metal nanoparticles, show promise for enhancing sensor sensitivity and selectivity while potentially lowering resource demand. However, their sustainability profile remains uncertain, as the energy- and chemical-intensive synthesis of nanomaterials may offset the benefits. Life cycle assessment (LCA) frameworks and the concept of a nanocircular economy are discussed as tools for evaluating and guiding sustainable design. At the same time, artificial intelligence opens new possibilities for sustainability by enabling the analysis of vast datasets to uncover hidden correlations between synthesis parameters and nanomaterial properties. These insights can guide more sustainable synthesis routes and support the design of novel nanomaterials and nanocomposites with tailored functionalities. By integrating material innovation with environmental considerations, the future of health monitoring strips can move toward minimizing waste, reducing dependency on critical resources, and aligning with global sustainability goals.
Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are emerging as essential tools for enabling transparency and circularity in food and drink supply chains. However, integrating DPPs into short-shelf-life product systems remains challenging due to fragmented data, dynamic processes, and quality degradation over time. This paper presents a supply chain optimisation framework that leverages Physics-Informed Machine Learning (PIML) and process simulation to support DPP integration. The upper-level models supply chain-level decisions such as distribution, inventory, and sourcing, while the lower level simulates manufacturing processes using BioSTEAM to evaluate energy, cost, and material transformations. PIML is used to track time-dependent product quality changes informed by physical degradation models. By bridging operational planning with detailed process behaviour, the framework enables dynamic, accurate updates to DPPs across the product lifecycle. The novelty of this work lies in integrating supply chain modelling, manufacturing simulation, and PIML for real-time tracking. This multi-objective approach addresses sustainability and profitability in industries like food and beverage manufacturing, offering a practical tool to drive DPP adoption.
Given the finite nature and overuse of our natural resources, sustainable use is crucial to preserving the foundations of life for the future. In addition to fossil resources, certain metals, and rare earth elements, phosphorus (P) is considered to be a strategic resource. We describe the synthesis of various ammonium salts of phytic acid, a sustainable source of P, as biobased flame retardants (FRs). The performance of the novel ammonium-phytates (AmPs) was tested in wood–polymer-composites (WPCs) based on wood flour and bio-HDPE. The resulting compounds were comprehensively characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94, micro combustion calorimetry (MCC), cone calorimetry and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). We were able to demonstrate a comparable reaction-to-fire performance for AmP compared to the reference FR ammonium polyphosphate (APP). Based on these results, a rationale for the relationship between composition and performance of AmPs is given.
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor that forms a cornerstone in several electronic devices in modern society, such as light-emitting diodes and chargers for computers and phones. Gallium production is increasing rapidly in response to rising demand, with direct implications for raw material extraction and energy consumption. Yet the environmental footprint of producing devices of GaN remains largely unexplored. A key step in making a GaN-based device is to deposit a thin film of GaN on a substrate. We present a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of GaN deposition via atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), incorporating process-level inputs and outputs. The analysis compares scenarios that include or exclude the silicon substrate and use alternative geographic electricity mixes. Our study shows that the electricity consumption and use of metal organic precursors for Ga are the environmental hotspots in both ALD and CVD of GaN. This makes the sustainability of production highly dependent on electricity generation. Depositions using ALD exhibit higher sustainability burdens than CVD across most impact categories, despite the much lower process temperature in ALD. This is driven by upstream precursor production and process energy demands. By including the silicon wafer in the LCA, impact dominance shifted to upstream substrate manufacturing. These results clarify the key environmental hotspots in GaN deposition and provide a basis for targeted mitigation strategies in semiconductor process design.
This study investigates the low-temperature depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using near-stoichiometric choline hydroxide (ChOH) in methanol, assisted by dichloromethane (DCM) or dimethoxymethane (DMM) as co-solvents. The DCM-assisted system enables rapid apparent PET depolymerization within 30 min under mild conditions, whereas the DMM-assisted system achieves hydrolysis within 20 h at room temperature, yielding choline terephthalate and ethylene glycol. Although slower, the DMM-assisted process proceeds more smoothly, as supported by spectroscopic and microscopic analyses, while the DCM-assisted route leads to accumulation of partially hydrolysed intermediates and transient micro/nanoplastic residues during the early stages of hydrolysis. The studied processes exhibit high atom economy due to the near-stoichiometric use of choline hydroxide and simplified product isolation without acid neutralization or extensive purification steps. In addition, benchmarking based on energy and environmental metrics was extended to account for multistage operations such as solvent removal, drying, and metathesis processes, enabling more comprehensive comparison with previously reported PET depolymerization methods. The results highlight the importance of balanced benchmarking when evaluating sustainability claims in chemical plastic recycling and demonstrate the potential of choline hydroxide-mediated PET hydrolysis as a low-temperature and resource-efficient depolymerization strategy.
A sustainable and organic solvent-free strategy for nitrogen functionalisation of carbon materials is presented herein. The developed method avoids hazardous reagents and energy-intensive conventional treatments by employing aqueous solutions of benign nitrogen-containing inorganic salts (NH4NO3, NH4Cl, and (NH4)2CO3). As a proof of concept, nitrogen-doped activated carbons were prepared from both a commercial activated carbon (YP-50F) and a biomass-derived porous carbon. In all cases, nitrogen was successfully incorporated into the carbon matrix, yielding nitrogen contents and surface functionalities comparable to those obtained through traditional organic functionalisation routes. A life cycle assessment demonstrates the clear environmental advantages of the proposed aqueous-based process, with a reduction of up to 90% in several impact categories compared to organic solvent-based methods. The electrochemical evaluation of the resulting nitrogen-doped activated carbons as supercapacitor electrodes confirms the validity of the approach. The nitrogen-doped activated carbons exhibit enhanced energy density and cycling stability compared to pristine activated carbons, and their performance is comparable to that of materials produced via organic solvent routes. This study establishes a greener and scalable pathway for nitrogen doping of carbon materials, highlighting the potential of simple aqueous chemistries to replace conventional, less sustainable functionalisation strategies.
This perspective adds to growing work that sees chemistry classrooms as learning spaces where ideas about justice, power, and equity are learned alongside disciplinary content. When educators design and teach sustainable chemistry, they are not only inviting students to think about these issues; they are also already practicing particular ethical and political commitments through the examples they choose, the problems they centre, and the ways they frame entrepreneurship and innovation. Drawing together literature on systems thinking, socioscientific issues, decolonising and culturally-responsive teaching, as well as critical studies of entrepreneurship, this piece offers the perspective that green and sustainable chemistry education as a lived ethical practice rather than a neutral technical exercise. A reflexive curriculum checklist is proposed as a practical tool for chemistry educators, students, and community partners to make these commitments more explicit, bring hidden curricula to the surface, and orient curriculum design towards more globally concious and liveable chemical futures.
Small organic molecules bearing oxygen-containing functionalities are key chemical building units in organic chemical manufacturing industries. Biomass-derived carbohydrates are promising feedstocks for synthesizing functionalized organic chemicals with tailored molecular architectures, properties, and functions. The choice and sequence of organic transformations, reagents, synthetic auxiliaries, and other reaction conditions collectively determine the scalability, economic appeal, and environmental sustainability of the synthetic processes. The strategic relocation of oxygen atoms from carbohydrates to renewable chemicals can facilitate the development of redox-economic and waste-minimized synthetic pathways. This review introduces a conceptual framework for tracing the relocation of oxygen atoms from biomolecules to renewable chemicals, providing a quantitative basis for rational synthetic design. The redox economy index (), a new green chemistry metric, has been introduced to analyze and evaluate the efficacy of multi-step synthetic pathways of renewable chemicals, where redox steps are used tactically and strategically in constructing their molecular framework.
The development of safe and sustainable alternatives to PFAS in textiles is urgently needed. During early innovation, when new alternative molecules are generated and tested, the sharing of information required...
Waste scallop shell acts as a basic catalyst for galactose to tagatose isomerization under optimised conditions, delivering high selectivity, low activation energy, good recyclability, and efficient green metrics.
Cradle-to-gate LCA of bio-based superhydrophobic coatings reveals solvent choice as the primary environmental hotspot. Strategic solvent substitution and renewable power reduce impacts by >50%, guiding sustainable barrier packaging design.
Inclusion and diversity issues in science are of high importance. Fortunately, the quote “Science over barriers” has become a new wind blowing in the scientific community, so that everyone can thrive and access their fullest potential. Inequality issues based on sexual orientation, gender, race, disabilities, etc., must be addressed, and supportive environments have been or should be created so that more individuals are included in all scientific fields. Chemistry, being one of the most difficult scientific fields, faces more challenges in opening its doors to scientists with severe disabilities. The most important barriers are described herein, and potential ways to resolve the raised issues are discussed. This forum article is based on a project supported by RSC Inclusion & Diversity funds. Tactile images of fundamental techniques used in Instrumental Chemical Analysis have been created, on a pilot scale, as educational material in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4, 8, 10, and 16, for blind or partially sighted students to enhance their knowledge in fundamentals of Instrumental Chemical Analysis.
Heterosexism has long been pervasive in educational settings, undermining sustainability goals. Drawing on findings from an earlier interpretivist study involving interviews with ten students with experience of attending chemistry classes, I revisit how heterosexist ideologies infiltrate teaching practices, curricular content, and classroom interactions through language, analogies, and visual representations in chemistry classrooms. Furthermore, by situating heterosexism within broader frameworks of Piaget’s cognitive constructivism and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, I discuss how some proposed strategies (including inclusive pedagogy, institutional policies, and educator training) could serve as interventions to rectify the situation. It is hoped that this article can not only provide practical insights into ways to fight against heterosexism in chemistry education but can also raise awareness of the impact of heterosexist ideologies in impeding social sustainability.
Accurate data on the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) are scarce. Yet, available evidence suggests LGBTQ+ young people are less likely to pursue or remain in these fields. This poses a major challenge for building the diverse, sustainable workforce that global challenges demand. To address this, we describe the evolution of the Queer Science Competition (QSC), an initiative by PRISM Exeter (Southwest England). Since 2020, QSC has challenged students to profile lesser-known LGBTQ+ STEMM professionals via text or video entries, generating a compelling body of student-authored work. We document iterative, refinements across cycles including developments in expanded formats, funding, geographic reach and external partnerships. Furthermore, we describe the legacy resources (classroom materials, careers resources, posters, club activities and tutor-time videos) co-created from these entries that were developed and launched alongside Schools OUT for UK LGBT+ History Month 2026. Reflecting critically on our journey, including community dialogue surrounding the use of AI-generated artwork, we offer practical recommendations for educators and organizers. Ultimately, we advocate for the “usualisation” of LGBTQ+ identities within STEMM curricula, moving beyond tokenistic representation toward the routine, natural inclusion of queer professionals to foster long-term workforce sustainability.
British-Asian students in UK chemistry higher education consistently achieve lower degree outcomes than their white peers, yet the experiences driving those outcomes have remained largely invisible. This study, funded by the RSC Inclusion and Diversity Fund, draws on 60 qualitative interviews with British-Asian chemistry students across four UK universities (Warwick, Leeds, Durham and Bradford) to surface what attainment data cannot show. Six major themes emerged: family background and parental expectations; the relationship between home city and campus; university community and drinking culture; cultural concealment; representation in staff and curriculum; and experiences of racism. Across all four institutions, students described the active labour of suppressing their cultural identity to fit in, the near-total absence of people who looked like them in positions of academic authority, and a form of ambient marginalisation that rarely rises to the threshold of formal reporting but shapes daily life. The consistency of findings across very different institutional contexts suggests these are not isolated failures but something embedded in the culture of UK chemistry higher education itself. The article offers practical recommendations for departments across four areas: social infrastructure, the intersection of class and race, representation, and reporting. Addressing UN SDG 4 and SDG 10, it argues that closing the awarding gap requires not a technical fix but a genuine reckoning with the cultural norms that make chemistry feel inaccessible to brown people.
Widening access to higher education is central to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Quality Education (SDG 4) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10). In Scotland, contextual admissions are a key policy mechanism intended to support applicants whose educational attainment may have been shaped by socioeconomic or personal disadvantage. However, little is known about how these policies operate in practice within STEM disciplines. This study explored how Scottish universities delivering undergraduate chemistry programmes identify, assess, and support applicants eligible for contextual offers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with admissions selectors and widening-access staff from six Scottish universities. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns in institutional practices, decision-making processes, and perceptions of contextual admissions. Five themes emerged: Institutions demonstrated a shared commitment to widening access but varied in the metrics used, the structure of admissions decision-making, and the consistency of post-entry support. A major cross-cutting issue was the difficulty communicating eligibility, with many applicants, teachers, and parents unaware of available contextual pathways. While contextual offers were seen as an important equity mechanism, their practical impact differed by institution and applicant group, and concerns about fairness and transparency persisted. Post-entry support was uneven, often limited by challenges in identifying contextual entrants. Teachers and parents acted as influential gatekeepers, but inconsistent understanding sometimes hindered effective guidance. These findings highlight the need for clearer communication, improved sector coordination, and stronger transition support to ensure that contextual admissions contribute meaningfully to equitable participation and success in chemistry and wider STEM education.
Professor Tom Welton, RSC Sustainability Editor-in-Chief, introduces a collection of Forum articles focusing on projects funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Inclusion and Diversity Fund.Professor Tom Welton, RSC Sustainability Editor-in-Chief, introduces a collection of Forum articles focusing on projects funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Inclusion and Diversity Fund.
Correction for ‘Primary-equivalent corrosion protection of post-consumer scrap based aluminium’ by Erlind Mysliu et al., RSC Sustainability, 2026, 4, 1367–1375, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00350D
The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework is central to the European Union's cleaner and safer production and chemical sustainability goals, necessitating robust tools for implementation. This paper presents a review and comparative computational analysis of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodologies for SSbD. Standard fully compensatory MCDA methods are shown to be fundamentally unsuitable as primary safety gates in regulatory decision contexts because they permit high sustainability performance to offset critical safety hazards, conflicting with the non-compensatory principle of chemical safety legislation like REACH. Three approaches were mathematically formulated and evaluated using a plasticizer case study: compensatory composite indicators, the regulatory-aligned multiple-criteria decision analysis for assessments of chemical alternatives (MCDA-ACA), and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) quantitative SSbD framework. The analysis demonstrates that compensatory methods fail to reliably implement safety-first logic at the gate, while non-compensatory or hybrid frameworks such as MCDA-ACA, the JRC method, and the CI-SSbDC composite indicator successfully implement safety-first logic through discrete value functions, minimum aggregation, and explicit cut-off criteria. We recommend a robust, two-stage hybrid approach for practitioners: (1) apply a validated non-compensatory safety gate to eliminate hazardous alternatives, and (2) subsequently rank the remaining safe options using comprehensive sustainability and performance criteria. This work contributes to operationalizing SSbD by providing a clear and validated methodological pathway for informed decision-making in cleaner chemical innovation.
