Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is broadly recognised as having the potential to play a key role in meeting climate change targets, delivering low carbon heat and power, decarbonising industry and, more recently, its ability to facilitate the net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. However, despite this broad consensus and its technical maturity, CCS has not yet been deployed on a scale commensurate with the ambitions articulated a decade ago. Thus, in this paper we review the current state-of-the-art of CO2 capture, transport, utilisation and storage from a multi-scale perspective, moving from the global to molecular scales. In light of the COP21 commitments to limit warming to less than 2 °C, we extend the remit of this study to include the key negative emissions technologies (NETs) of bioenergy with CCS (BECCS), and direct air capture (DAC). Cognisant of the non-technical barriers to deploying CCS, we reflect on recent experience from the UK's CCS commercialisation programme and consider the commercial and political barriers to the large-scale deployment of CCS. In all areas, we focus on identifying and clearly articulating the key research challenges that could usefully be addressed in the coming decade.

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Carbon capture and storage (CCS): the way forward

Hydrogels for biomedical applications.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are an emerging class of mixtures characterized by significant depressions in melting points compared to those of the neat constituent components. These materials are promising for applications as inexpensive "designer" solvents exhibiting a host of tunable physicochemical properties. A detailed review of the current literature reveals the lack of predictive understanding of the microscopic mechanisms that govern the structure-property relationships in this class of solvents. Complex hydrogen bonding is postulated as the root cause of their melting point depressions and physicochemical properties; to understand these hydrogen bonded networks, it is imperative to study these systems as dynamic entities using both simulations and experiments. This review emphasizes recent research efforts in order to elucidate the next steps needed to develop a fundamental framework needed for a deeper understanding of DESs. It covers recent developments in DES research, frames outstanding scientific questions, and identifies promising research thrusts aligned with the advancement of the field toward predictive models and fundamental understanding of these solvents.

Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Review of Fundamentals and Applications.

A review of ionic liquids: Applications towards catalytic organic transformations

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as promising media for the extraction and separation of bioactive compounds from the most diverse origins. This critical review offers a compilation on the main results achieved by the use of ionic-liquid-based processes in the extraction and separation/purification of a large range of bioactive compounds (including small organic extractable compounds from biomass, lipids, and other hydrophobic compounds, proteins, amino acids, nucleic acids, and pharmaceuticals). ILs have been studied as solvents, cosolvents, cosurfactants, electrolytes, and adjuvants, as well as used in the creation of IL-supported materials for separation purposes. The IL-based processes hitherto reported, such as IL-based solid–liquid extractions, IL-based liquid–liquid extractions, IL-modified materials, and IL-based crystallization approaches, are here reviewed and compared in terms of extraction and separation performance. The key accomplishments and future challenges to the field are discusse...

Ionic-Liquid-Mediated Extraction and Separation Processes for Bioactive Compounds: Past, Present, and Future Trends

Thermal stability of choline chloride deep eutectic solvents by TGA/FTIR-ATR analysis

The performance of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([emim][DCA]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([bmim][DCA]), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide ([emim][TCM]) ionic liquids (ILs) as alternative solvents in the liquid–liquid extraction of toluene from heptane was evaluated at 313.2 K. These ILs were selected due to their low viscosity and their highly aromatic character. Densities and viscosities of the ILs have also been determined over the temperature range from 293.15 to 353.15 K. To analyze the potential of the ILs to be applied in an industrial aromatic extraction process, toluene and heptane distribution ratios, separation factors, and physical properties of the ILs have been compared to the sulfolane values. In addition, the nonrandom two-liquid model successfully correlated the liquid–liquid equilibrium data for the three ternary systems studied.

Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Toluene from Heptane Using [emim][DCA], [bmim][DCA], and [emim][TCM] Ionic Liquids

Nowadays, extraction of aromatics from aromatic/aliphatic mixtures is being investigated using cyano-based ionic liquids (ILs) as a new green alternative to currently used conventional organic extraction solvents, such as sulfolane. In this process, the maximum operation temperature (MOT) of the IL is a decisive property to know. Thus, thermal behavior of ILs is a target issue to study. The MOTs of cyano-based ILs 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([emim][DCA]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([bmim][DCA]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([emim][SCN]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([bmim][SCN]), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide ([emim][TCM]) have been determined using dynamic and isothermal thermogravimetric analyses. In addition, specific heats from (296.2 to 372.2) K of all ILs included in this work have been also measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The MOT for [emim][TCM] was the highest, whereas the MOT for [emim][DCA], [bmim][DCA...

Thermal Properties of Cyano-Based Ionic Liquids

Selective extraction of toluene from n-heptane using [emim][SCN] and [bmim][SCN] ionic liquids as solvents

The effect of fiber loading on the properties of treated cellulose fiber-reinforced phenolic composites was evaluated. Alkali treatment of the fibers and reaction with organosilanes as coupling agents were applied to improve fiber–matrix adhesion. Fiber loadings of 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt% were incorporated to the phenolic matrix and tensile, flexural, morphological and thermal properties of the resulting composites were studied. In general, mechanical properties of the composites showed a maximum at 3% of fiber loading and a uniform distribution of the fibers in such composites was observed. Silane treatment of the fibers provided derived composites with the best thermal and mechanical properties. Meanwhile, NaOH treatment improved thermal and flexural properties, but reduced tensile properties of the materials. Therefore, the phenolic composite containing 3% of silane treated cellulose fiber was selected as the material with optimal properties.

Francisco Rodríguez

Papers

Thermal stability of choline chloride deep eutectic solvents by TGA/FTIR-ATR analysis

Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Toluene from Heptane Using [emim][DCA], [bmim][DCA], and [emim][TCM] Ionic Liquids

Thermal Properties of Cyano-Based Ionic Liquids

Selective extraction of toluene from n-heptane using [emim][SCN] and [bmim][SCN] ionic liquids as solvents

Effect of fiber loading on the properties of treated cellulose fiber-reinforced phenolic composites