green chemistry

Chitin, a polysaccharide abundantly sourced from squid pens and crustacean shells, is a versatile biopolymer with diverse applications. α-chitin is predominant in crustacean shells, exhibiting a hierarchical nanofibrillar organization interspersed with proteins and calcium carbonate. Recent attention has focused on chitin nanocrystals (CNCs), produced via acid hydrolysis, which exhibit exceptional mechanical, thermal, and optical properties owing to their high aspect ratio, large surface area, and distinctive crystalline structure.

The natural environment is facing several contaminants including hazardous metals, dyes, medicines, and plastics. In particular, plastics, one of the most sought-after synthetic materials, are widely used in a variety of applications, including electronics, building, and packaging, due to their ease of manufacture and low weight. One novel recycling method that has been introduced as a mild and sustainable technology for processing waste plastic is electrochemistry, particularly when driven by renewable energy sources.

During the production of quince paste, significant waste is generated, including skin, peel, and seeds. Quince is rich in bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, interesting for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Their extraction is of strategic importance to obtain bioactive ingredients from agro-industrial waste.

The sustainability of agricultural practices is increasingly critical amid environmental challenges. While effective, traditional soil-based agricultural methods often contribute to soil degradation and resource depletion. The earth’s topsoil has eroded by 50% during the last 150 years. In addition to this, soil has also been affected by agricultural practices.  These effects include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity [1].

Diels-Alder (DA) reactions result in the formation of two carbon-carbon bonds of six-membered ring structures with high atom economy. The use of unsaturated organoboranes, which are widely available and exhibit low toxicity, enables the modulation of reactivity and selectivity in these reactions and also allow a variety of subsequent transformations the carbon-boron bond. These characteristics align these reactions with the principles of green chemistry.