Researchers of the Zelinsky Institute published a review on the use of supercritical carbon dioxide for the production of functional materials
The negative impact of human activities on the environment is becoming more and more obvious. In this context, in recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the development of more environmentally friendly technological processes that differ from the known ones in lower energy and resource consumption, more efficient use of by-products, high quality and safety of the final product. Chemical industry is one of the most environmentally unfriendly one. It consumes millions of tons of organic solvents, much of which are toxic and flammable. The use of alternative types of solvents in chemical processes, primarily a cheap, non-flammable, non-toxic, and non-requiring natural compound — carbon dioxide, converted into a liquid or supercritical state, can allow the environment to be protected.
Researchers of the I.N. Nazarov Laboratory of Fine Organic Synthesis of the ZIOC published a review devoted to the latest achievements in the field of application of liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide in the processes of obtaining promising materials used in devices for the production and storage of energy. In particular, the processes of obtaining materials for the manufacture of highly efficient cathodes and anodes of rechargeable lithium-, sodium- and potassium-ion batteries, advanced solar cell electrodes, as well as promising energy-intensive materials capable of accumulating and instantly releasing the energy contained in chemical bonds are considered. The use of available, cheap, non-toxic carbon dioxide in these processes improves the performance of the resulting materials and significantly reduces the amount of waste, which makes them attractive for industrial implementation.
Source:
Ilya V. Kuchurov, Mikhail N. Zharkov, Sergei G. Zlotin Supercritical carbon dioxide assisted formation of crystalline materials for various energetic applications // CrystEngComm, 2022, 24, 7008-7023. DOI: 10.1039/d2ce00794k.