Mesoporous carbonaceous materials have outstanding potential in many different applications such as adsorption, medicine and catalysis. We have recently reported the synthesis of a new form of mesoporous carbon, named Starbon((R)), obtained after low temperature carbonization of expanded starch. Such starch-derived mesoporous materials have several tunable properties including surface energies (ranging from hydrophilic to hydrophobic surfaces), which can be easily controlled by the degree of carbonization (from 200 to 700 degrees C). Due to the diversity of surface functional groups, Starbons((R)) can be easily chemically modified. Treatment of Starbon((R)) materials with sulfuric acid gave a solid acid that has promising properties as heterogeneous catalyst. Comparative catalytic studies with some other similar commercial carbonaceous materials such as DARCO((R)) and NORIT (R), as well as phosphorous-containing microporous carbons, are reported. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Planet Earth is under severe stress from several inter-linked factors mainly associated with rising global population, linear resource consumption, security of resources, unsurmountable waste generation, and social inequality, which unabated will lead to an unsustainable 21st Century. The traditional way products are designed promotes a linear economy that discards recoverable resources and creates negative environmental and social impacts. Here, we suggest multi-disciplinary approaches encompassing chemistry, process engineering and sustainability science, and sustainable solutions in “game changer” challenges in three intersecting arenas of food: Sustainable diet, valorisation of unavoidable food supply chain wastes, and circularity of food value chain systems aligning with the United Nations’ seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. In the arena of sustainable diet, comprehensive life cycle assessment using the global life cycle inventory datasets and recommended daily servings is conducted to rank food choices, covering all food groups from fresh fruits/vegetables, lentils/pulses and grains to livestock, with regard to health and the environment, to emphasise the essence of plant-based diet, especially plant-based sources of protein, for holistic systemic sustainability and stability of the earth system. In the arena of unavoidable food supply chain wastes, economically feasible and synergistically (energy and material) integrated innovative biorefinery systems are suggested to transform unavoidable food waste into functional and platform chemical productions alongside energy vectors: Fuel or combined heat and power generation. In the arena of circularity of food value chain systems, novel materials and methods for plant-based protein functionalisation for food/nutraceutical applications are investigated using regenerative bio-surfactants from unavoidable food waste. This circular economy or industrial symbiosis example thus combines the other two arenas, i.e., plant-based protein sourcing and unavoidable food waste valorisation. The multi-disciplinary analysis here will eventually impact on policies for dietary change, but also contribute knowledge needed by industry and policy makers and raise awareness amongst the population at large for making a better approach to the circular economy of food.

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The defibrillation of lignocellulosic matter from pea waste using a dual approach of twin-screw extrusion and microwave hydrothermal treatment (MHT) in the presence of water alone from to 200 o C is reported. Gradual "scissoring" of biomass macrofibres to microfibrils was observed alluding to the Hy-MASS (Hydrothermal Microwave-assisted Selective Scissoring) concept. The morphology and properties of two types of MFC: PEA (non-extruded) and EPEA (extruded) were compared. The EPEA samples gave higher crystallinity index and thermal stability, reduced lignin and hemicellulose content, narrower fibril width, better water holding capacity slightly and higher surface area compared with their non-extruded counterparts (PEA). Twin screw extrusion as a pretreatment method followed by MHT represents a potential way to produce microfibrillated cellulose with improved physical performance from complex biomass sources.

With crude oil reserves dwindling, the hunt for a sustainable alternative feedstock for fuels and materials for our society continues to expand. The biorefinery concept has enjoyed both a surge in popularity and also vocal opposition to the idea of diverting food-grade land and crops for this purpose. The idea of using the inevitable wastes arising from biomass processing, particularly farming and food production, is, therefore, gaining more attention as the feedstock for the biorefinery. For the three main components of biomass—carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins—there are long-established processes for using some of these by-products. However, the recent advances in chemical technologies are expanding both the feedstocks available for processing and the products that be obtained. Herein, this review presents some of the more recent developments in processing these molecules for green materials, as well as case studies that bring these technologies and materials together into final products for applied usage.

Antibiotic Microbial Resistance (AMR) is a major global challenge as it constitutes a severe threat to global public health if not addressed. To fight against AMR bacteria, new antimicrobial agents are continually needed, and their efficacy must be tested. Historically, many transition metals have been employed, but their cytotoxicity is an issue and hence must be reduced, typically by combination with organic polymers. Cellulose of natural origin, especially those derived from unavoidable residues in the food supply chain, appears to be a good capping agent for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Herein, we describe a green synthesis method to produce a novel biocomposite, using ascorbic acid as reducing agent and microfibrillated cellulose as a capping agent and demonstrate this material to be an efficient antimicrobial agent. Silver nanoparticles were obtained in the cellulose matrix with an average size of 140 nm and with antimicrobial activity against both sensitive and resistant Gram positive (using 1500 ppm) as well as sensitive and resistant Gram negative (using 125 ppm) bacteria. Also, an inverted disk-diffusion methodology was applied to overcome the low-solubility of cellulose compounds. This novel silver nanoparticle-cellulose biocomposite synthesized by a green methodology shows the potential to be applied in the future development of biomedical instruments and therapeutics.

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The first Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) of an acid-free, microwave-assisted process for pectin production at pilot-scale is reported. The properties of the resulting pectin were measured and compared against the criteria for commercial pectin, whilst the energy consumption of the microwave process was measured to compare its life cycle impacts with that of the current commercial process. Overall, the pectin met all the criteria for food-grade commercial pectin. The microwave unit was estimated to have <25% of the environmental impact of traditional acid-assisted thermal process