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| Open AccessVisible light-driven C−H activation and C–C coupling of methanol into ethylene glycol
Direct transformation of methanol into two- or multi-carbon compounds is extremely attractive but remains a challenge. Here, the authors report an efficient photocatalytic route to the transformation of methanol into ethylene glycol and hydrogen over a molybdenum disulfide nanofoam-modified cadmium sulfide nanorod catalyst.
- Shunji Xie
- , Zebin Shen
- & Ye Wang
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Article
| Open AccessCarboxylic acid-modified metal oxide catalyst for selectivity-tunable aerobic ammoxidation
Precisely controlling the surface properties of base-metal oxide catalysts to tune the reaction selectivity remains a challenge. Here, the authors show that a green modification of manganese oxide surface with carboxylates can be used to tune the ammoxidation selectivity toward the desired products.
- Xiuquan Jia
- , Jiping Ma
- & Jie Xu
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Article
| Open AccessMulti-indicator sustainability assessment of global food systems
The development of sustainable food systems requires an understanding of potential trade-off between various objectives. Here, Chaudhary et al. examine how different nations score on food system performance across several domains, including environment, nutrition, and sociocultural wellbeing.
- Abhishek Chaudhary
- , David Gustafson
- & Alexander Mathys
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Comment
| Open AccessPlastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans as a contemporary challenge in ocean governance
- Marcus Haward
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Article
| Open AccessLigands with 1,10-phenanthroline scaffold for highly regioselective iron-catalyzed alkene hydrosilylation
Hydrosilylation of alkenes poses substantial challenges in terms of regioselectivity. Here, the authors report iron complexes with 1,10-phenantroline ligand scaffolds which display benzylic selectivity in the hydrosilylation of internal alkenes and Markovnikov selectivity with terminal styrenes and 1,3-dienes.
- Meng-Yang Hu
- , Qiao He
- & Shou-Fei Zhu
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Article
| Open AccessLight-tuned selective photosynthesis of azo- and azoxy-aromatics using graphitic C3N4
The synthesis of azo- and azoxy-aromatic dyes via photoreduction of nitroaromatics is hindered by high costs and low catalytic efficiencies and selectivities. Here the authors demonstrate the facile synthesis of these important dyes from their corresponding nitroaromatic precursors by using an inexpensive graphitic C3N4 photocatalyst.
- Yitao Dai
- , Chao Li
- & Ren Su
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Article
| Open AccessFactoring economic costs into conservation planning may not improve agreement over priorities for protection
Prioritising areas for conservation is hindered by disagreements over ecological targets. Here, Armsworth et al. combine a simulation approach and case study to test if considering economic return on investment aids in prioritisation, and find that its impact on reaching agreements varies greatly.
- Paul R. Armsworth
- , Heather B. Jackson
- & Nathan A. Sutton
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Article
| Open AccessAn assessment of the global impact of 21st century land use change on soil erosion
Human activity and related land use change are the primary cause of soil erosion. Here, the authors show the impacts of 21st century global land use change on soil erosion based on an unprecedentedly high resolution global model that provides insights into the mitigating effects of conservation agriculture.
- Pasquale Borrelli
- , David A. Robinson
- & Panos Panagos
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| Open AccessStrategies for feeding the world more sustainably with organic agriculture
Organic agriculture requires fewer inputs but produces lower yields than conventional farming. Here, via a modeling approach, Muller et al. predict that if food waste and meat consumption are reduced, organic agriculture could feed the world without requiring cropland expansion.
- Adrian Muller
- , Christian Schader
- & Urs Niggli
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Article
| Open AccessConvenient iron-catalyzed reductive aminations without hydrogen for selective synthesis of N-methylamines
N-methylated amines display high biological activity in living organisms. Here, the authors show the convenient synthesis of a wide range of biologically relevant N-methylamines via reduction of nitrobenzenes using a recyclable iron catalyst and paraformaldehyde without additional hydrogen pressure.
- Kishore Natte
- , Helfried Neumann
- & Matthias Beller
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Article
| Open AccessPoverty eradication in a carbon constrained world
The consequences of poverty eradication on limiting warming to 2 °C are not fully clear. Here, Hubacek et al. find that while ending extreme poverty does not jeopardize the climate target, moving everybody to a modest expenditure level increases required mitigation rate by 27%
- Klaus Hubacek
- , Giovanni Baiocchi
- & Anand Patwardhan
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Article
| Open AccessUpstream watershed condition predicts rural children’s health across 35 developing countries
Globally diarrheal disease through contaminated water sources is a major cause of child mortality. Here, the authors compile a database of 293,362 children in 35 countries and find that upstream tree cover is linked to a lower probability of diarrheal disease and that increasing tree cover may lower mortality.
- Diego Herrera
- , Alicia Ellis
- & Taylor H. Ricketts
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Article
| Open AccessAgricultural pesticide use and adverse birth outcomes in the San Joaquin Valley of California
The health consequences of exposure to pesticides are uncertain and subject to much debate. Here, the effect of exposure during pregnancy is investigated in an agriculturally dominated residential area, showing that an increase in adverse birth outcomes is observed with very high levels of pesticide exposure.
- Ashley E. Larsen
- , Steven D. Gaines
- & Olivier Deschênes
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Article
| Open AccessThermally stable single atom Pt/m-Al2O3 for selective hydrogenation and CO oxidation
Using precious noble elements as single atom metal catalysts is highly desirable and effective. Here the authors show the use of platinum atom catalysts anchored in mesoporous Al2O3for selective hydrogenation and CO oxidation that have better stability and performance compared to their nanoparticle counterparts.
- Zailei Zhang
- , Yihan Zhu
- & Ning Yan
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Article
| Open AccessSelective production of arenes via direct lignin upgrading over a niobium-based catalyst
Lignin is cheap and abundant, and potentially a major source of aromatic compounds. Here the authors show selective production of arenes via hydrodeoxygenation of lignin over Ru/Nb2O5, and mechanistically show the strong influence of the Nb2O5support on phenolic bond dissociation energies.
- Yi Shao
- , Qineng Xia
- & Yanqin Wang
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Article
| Open AccessReconciling irrigated food production with environmental flows for Sustainable Development Goals implementation
Sustainable development goals for water use and food production are in conflict, but this could be reduced by proper water management. Here, violations of global environmental flow requirements for rivers are quantified and related to reconciliation potentials in irrigated and rainfed agriculture.
- Jonas Jägermeyr
- , Amandine Pastor
- & Dieter Gerten
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Article
| Open AccessRare earth separations by selective borate crystallization
Trivalent lanthanides possess similar chemical properties, making their separation from one another challenging. Here, Wang and colleagues demonstrate that their subtle chemical differences can be greatly amplified during borate crystallization, leading to a low cost and highly efficient separation strategy.
- Xuemiao Yin
- , Yaxing Wang
- & Shuao Wang
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Article
| Open AccessMultiply fully recyclable carbon fibre reinforced heat-resistant covalent thermosetting advanced composites
The attractive strength and stability of resin matrix carbon fibre composites also make them difficult to recycle using gentle treatments which avoid degradation of structure and properties. Here authors demonstrate a composite that can be recycled for multiple cycles with little degradation.
- Yanchao Yuan
- , Yanxiao Sun
- & Lei Jia
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Article
| Open AccessDisplacement efficiency of alternative energy and trans-provincial imported electricity in China
Alternative energy is widely believed to proportionally displace fossil fuels. Here, the authors analyse displacement values for China between 1995 and 2014 and show that alternative energy, primarily hydropower, displaced ∼1/4 of a unit of fossil electricity, twice the global average.
- Yuanan Hu
- & Hefa Cheng
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| Open AccessPlatinum recycling going green via induced surface potential alteration enabling fast and efficient dissolution
Given the scarcity and cost of platinum, it is important to develop sustainable processes for its recycling. Here, the authors report the dissolution of metallic platinum using reductive and oxidative gases to repetitively change its surface oxidation state, in the absence of an external electric current.
- Nejc Hodnik
- , Claudio Baldizzone
- & Karl J. J. Mayrhofer
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| Open AccessSingle-catalyst high-weight% hydrogen storage in an N-heterocycle synthesized from lignin hydrogenolysis products and ammonia
Energy storage and biomass utilization are two major challenges for sustainability. Here the authors use a major lignin hydrogenolysis product for the synthesis of an N-heterocycle and develop a bimetallic catalyst for repeated hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of this and other molecules for hydrogen storage.
- Daniel Forberg
- , Tobias Schwob
- & Rhett Kempe