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Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1637

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hui Ding

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300354, China
Interests: environmental chemistry; atmospheric VOCs management; agricultural soil remediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sihui Zhan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300354, China
Interests: environmental chemistry; environmental engineering; water pollution control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of escalating global challenges—such as resource depletion, environmental degradation, and climate change—green chemistry emerges as a transformative discipline dedicated to designing efficient, clean, and low-carbon technologies. China has rapidly ascended as a powerhouse in this field, pioneering innovations that align economic growth with ecological sustainability. The nation’s scientific community has made significant strides in developing technologies that minimize hazardous substances, utilize renewable resources, and enhance energy efficiency. To spotlight these critical advancements, we announce the launch of the Special Issue “Green Chemistry in China” which will serve as a premier platform for disseminating cutting-edge research addressing the urgent need for sustainable chemical processes and environmental protection.

Presenting a very broad scope, this Special Issue welcomes papers covering but not limited to the following technologies and green applications: sustainable catalysis (such as synthetic biology approaches, enzyme/biocatalysis, normal temperature catalysis, biomimetic catalysis, and photocatalysis); green processes (such as solvent-free reactions, process intensification, or atomic active site catalysis); green energy and materials; the degradation of micropollutants; and green remediation processes for soil, water, and air treatment.

This Special Issue will focus on the latest excellent academic achievements in green chemistry in China and will provide a collection of papers as a reference tool for researchers, especially those working in the fields of biotechnology, catalysis, environmental science, carbon neutrality, green energy and materials, and agriculture.

We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hui Ding
Prof. Dr. Sihui Zhan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable catalysis
  • green processes
  • green energy
  • green materials
  • green remediation processes
  • environmental catalysis
  • degradation of micropollutants
  • synthetic biology approaches
  • enzyme
  • biocatalysis
  • normal temperature catalysis
  • biomimetic catalysis
  • photocatalysis
  • solvent-free reactions
  • process intensification
  • atomic active site catalysis
  • biotechnology
  • carbon neutrality

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 7156 KB  
Article
The Effect of Fe2O3 Modification on the CeO2-MnO2/TiO2 Catalyst for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH3
by Yuming Yang, Xue Bian, Jiaqi Li, Zhongshuai Jia and Yuting Bai
Molecules 2025, 30(21), 4260; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30214260 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 171
Abstract
High denitration efficiency and strong adaptability to flue gas temperature fluctuations are the core properties of the NH3-SCR catalyst. In this study, Fe2O3 modification is used as a means to explore the mechanism of adding Fe2O [...] Read more.
High denitration efficiency and strong adaptability to flue gas temperature fluctuations are the core properties of the NH3-SCR catalyst. In this study, Fe2O3 modification is used as a means to explore the mechanism of adding Fe2O3 to broaden the temperature range of the 6CeO2-40MnO2/TiO2 catalyst during the preparation process. The results show that the 6Fe2O3-6CeO2-40MnO2/TiO2 catalyst exhibits excellent denitration performance, with a denitration efficiency higher than 90%. The temperature range is from 129 to 390 °C. N2 selectivity and resistance to SO2 and H2O are good, and the denitration performance is significantly improved. When the Fe2O3 content is 6%, it promotes lattice shrinkage of TiO2, improves its dispersion, refines the grain size, and increases the specific surface area of the catalyst. At the same time, Fe2O3 enhances the chemical adsorption of oxygen on the catalyst surface and increases the proportion of low-cost metal ions, thereby promoting electron transfer between active elements, generating more surface reactive oxygen species, increasing the oxygen vacancy content and adsorption sites for NOx and NH3, and significantly improving the redox performance of the catalyst. This effect is particularly conducive to the formation of strong acid sites on the catalyst surface. The NH3-SCR reaction on the surface of the 6Fe2O3-6CeO2-40MnO2/TiO2 catalyst follows both the L-H and E-R mechanisms, with the L-H mechanism being dominant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World)
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14 pages, 3176 KB  
Article
The Effect of SO2 on C3H8 Oxidation over Ru@CoMn2O4 Spinel
by Yan Cui, Zequan Zeng, Yaqin Hou, Shuang Ma, Jieyang Yang, Jianfeng Zheng, Wenzhong Shen and Zhanggen Huang
Molecules 2025, 30(21), 4253; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30214253 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 131
Abstract
Propane is a typical volatile organic compound (VOC) in coal chemical processing and petroleum refining. However, coexisting SO2 significantly impairs its catalytic oxidative removal, potentially causing catalyst poisoning and deactivation. This study systematically elucidated the inhibitory effects of SO2 on the [...] Read more.
Propane is a typical volatile organic compound (VOC) in coal chemical processing and petroleum refining. However, coexisting SO2 significantly impairs its catalytic oxidative removal, potentially causing catalyst poisoning and deactivation. This study systematically elucidated the inhibitory effects of SO2 on the catalytic oxidation of propane over the Ru@CoMn2O4 catalyst system. Under continuous exposure to 30 ppm SO2, propane conversion plummeted by 30% within two hours. Mechanistic studies revealed that SO2 selectively bound to high-valent Mn sites rather than preferentially interacting with Co sites, leading to the formation of MnSO4 particles. These particles were directly corroborated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. After four hours of exposure to SO2, roughly 11.8 mole percent of manganese in the catalyst was converted into MnSO4. These deposits physically blocked active sites, reduced specific surface area, and disrupted redox cycling. As a result, their combined effects diminished performance progressively, ultimately leading to complete deactivation. Furthermore, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) confirmed that SO2 suppressed C=C bond oxidation in propane intermediates, thereby directly limiting conversion efficiency. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods, we characterized SO2-induced poisoning during propane oxidation. This work provides guidelines and strategies for designing anti-sulfur catalysts at the elemental scale for the catalytic combustion of low-carbon alkanes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World)
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16 pages, 2705 KB  
Article
Synthesis of FeOOH/Al2O3 Composites with Excellent Adsorption Performance and Regenerability for Phosphate Removal from Wastewater
by Boning Jiang, Shuaiqi Chen, Haoran Wang, Jingwen Yan, Xuhui Wang, Xiangyu Xu and Jiaqing Song
Molecules 2025, 30(21), 4200; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30214200 - 27 Oct 2025
Viewed by 225
Abstract
To address the issues of insufficient capacity and difficult regeneration of adsorbents for phosphate removal from wastewater, in this study, FeOOH/Al2O3 adsorbents were successfully developed by in situ growing amorphous iron oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) within the pores of alumina (Al2 [...] Read more.
To address the issues of insufficient capacity and difficult regeneration of adsorbents for phosphate removal from wastewater, in this study, FeOOH/Al2O3 adsorbents were successfully developed by in situ growing amorphous iron oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) within the pores of alumina (Al2O3) using a simple method. The physicochemical properties of FeOOH/Al2O3 adsorbents were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, their phosphate adsorption properties were comparatively investigated. The results revealed that FO-A-3, one of the FeOOH/Al2O3 samples prepared with Fe/Al molar ratio of 0.47, exhibited excellent adsorption capacity and a relatively fast adsorption rate, surpassing those of Al2O3 and amorphous FeOOH alone. The adsorption process of phosphate using FO-A-3 conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 131.00 mg/g. To tackle the problem of poor regeneration performance, this study innovatively proposed a repeatable and simple regeneration strategy. Experiments demonstrated that FO-A-3 maintained a relatively high adsorption capacity after four cycles of regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World)
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13 pages, 7041 KB  
Article
A Study on the Photothermal Catalytic Performance of Pt@MnO2 for O-Xylene Oxidation
by Rong Qiao, Yanxuan Wang, Jiani Chen, Haotian Hu, Jiafeng Wei, Fukun Bi, Ye Zheng and Xiaodong Zhang
Molecules 2025, 30(21), 4193; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30214193 - 27 Oct 2025
Viewed by 168
Abstract
Photothermal catalysis has emerged as a promising approach for the efficient and cost-effective removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Pt@MnO2 catalysts have demonstrated excellent performance in the photothermal catalytic oxidation of VOCs. However, current research has predominantly focused on the interaction between [...] Read more.
Photothermal catalysis has emerged as a promising approach for the efficient and cost-effective removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Pt@MnO2 catalysts have demonstrated excellent performance in the photothermal catalytic oxidation of VOCs. However, current research has predominantly focused on the interaction between Pt and MnO2, while often overlooking the influence of the MnO2 crystal phase. Therefore, in this study, we synthesized Pt supported on four crystal phases (α, β, γ, and δ) of MnO2 and established the structure–activity relationships through performance evaluation and characterization. Among the prepared catalysts, Pt@Mn[δ] exhibited excellent performance and possessed outstanding stability. Crystal structure characterization revealed that the larger specific surface area and lower crystallinity of Pt@Mn[δ] exposed more active sites. XPS analysis indicated the transformation of Mn4+ to Mn3+ on Pt@Mn[δ], leading to the formation of oxygen vacancies. O2-TPD and H2-TPR further confirmed the activation of lattice oxygen and the promoted redox cycle of Pt@Mn[δ]. UV-Vis DRS and electrochemical measurements demonstrated that Pt@Mn[δ] exhibited the most pronounced visible-light absorption, the highest photocurrent density, the lowest charge transfer resistance and superior charge carrier mobility. TD-GC-MS analysis indicated that o-xylene underwent alkylation and isomerization, with subsequent oxidation following the Mars–van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World)
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22 pages, 6152 KB  
Article
Preparation of Lignin Nanoparticles from Thlaspi arvense L. Rhizomes via Ultrasound-Assisted Antisolvent Precipitation: Nanostructural Characterization and Evaluation of Their Radical Scavenging Activity
by Ru Zhao, Wenjun Xu, Yuxiang Tang, Jinwen Liu, Xiaoli Li, Liangui Tan, Ailing Ben, Tingli Liu and Lei Yang
Molecules 2025, 30(20), 4070; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30204070 - 13 Oct 2025
Viewed by 311
Abstract
The ultrasound-assisted antisolvent precipitation method was used to prepare lignin nanoparticles from Thlaspi arvense L. rhizomes. The influence of each experimental variable on the average particle size (APS) of the lignin nanoparticles was determined via single-factor experiments. The optimal conditions for the preparation [...] Read more.
The ultrasound-assisted antisolvent precipitation method was used to prepare lignin nanoparticles from Thlaspi arvense L. rhizomes. The influence of each experimental variable on the average particle size (APS) of the lignin nanoparticles was determined via single-factor experiments. The optimal conditions for the preparation of the lignin nanoparticles were investigated in detail, and the APS of the lignin nanoparticles was 118 ± 3 nm. Compared with those of untreated lignin, the lignin nanoparticles prepared via this method were spherical and evenly distributed, and the structure was not damaged. Ultrasound generated local extreme physical conditions through its cavitation effect to promote nucleation, triggered high-speed turbulence to refine the particle size and improve uniformity, and applied mechanical disturbance to inhibit particle agglomeration, which promoted the preparation of lignin nanoparticles with a small size and good dispersion. A solubility test revealed that the lignin nanoparticles had greater solubility, which was improved 9-fold. The determination of antioxidant capacity revealed that the lignin nanoparticles had high free radical scavenging activity, which provided a broader space for the multifaceted utilization of a kind of grass lignin with the structural characteristics of T. arvense lignin (p-hydroxyphenyl lignin). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World)
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10 pages, 1562 KB  
Article
Liquid Metal Gallium Promotes the Activity and Stability of the Cu-ZnO Catalyst for CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol
by Yu Zhang, Yuanshuang Zheng, Xiulin Wang, Suofu Nie, Wenqian Zhang, Lun He and Bang Gu
Molecules 2025, 30(20), 4033; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30204033 - 10 Oct 2025
Viewed by 513
Abstract
CO2 hydrogenation to methanol has attracted considerable attention as a promising catalytic route for both reducing CO2 emissions and producing valuable chemical intermediates. Among various catalysts, Cu–ZnO-based systems are the most widely studied; however, their performance remains constrained by limited methanol [...] Read more.
CO2 hydrogenation to methanol has attracted considerable attention as a promising catalytic route for both reducing CO2 emissions and producing valuable chemical intermediates. Among various catalysts, Cu–ZnO-based systems are the most widely studied; however, their performance remains constrained by limited methanol selectivity and stability, highlighting the need for improved catalytic strategies. In this work, liquid metal gallium (Ga) was incorporated into Cu–ZnO catalysts as an additive for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Owing to its high dispersibility and fluidity, Ga helps maintain long-term catalyst stability. We investigated different introduction methods for Ga promoters and found that the physical mixing approach generated the strongest alkaline sites, thereby enhancing CO2 activation and increasing the CO2 conversion to methanol. Moreover, this catalyst effectively suppressed carbon deposition, further improving its stability. These findings offer new insights into the use of liquid metal Ga in CO2 hydrogenation and provide fresh perspectives for the rational design of efficient methanol synthesis catalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World)
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