Biomass Group, Nanjing Agricultural University, PO Box 68, 40 Dianjiangtai Road, Nanjing 210031

Profs. Janusz Kozinski and Zhen Fang visited bamboo products and ganoderma enterprises in Taining

参访福建新创艺竹木公司生产车间visiting the workshop of Fujian Xinchuangyi Bamboo and Wood Company

At 9:49 am on August 18, 2025, under a clear sky without a single cloud, Profs. Kozinski and Zhen Fang set off from Nanjing with immense joy, boarding a southbound bullet train to Taining. After transferring in Nanchang, they arrived at Taiping Station at 4:01 pm, where the sky displayed the distinctive clouds (sea of clouds and colorful clouds) of late summer and early autumn in Taining. Upon arrival at the station entrance, they met with Mr. Fangqiu Liao, Vice Chairman of the Taining Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Five minutes later, they reached the hotel. After a 15-minute rest, they drove to the county government office to meet with CPPCC Chairman Mr. Qiurong Jiang to discuss the utilization of Taining’s rich bioresources and the development of its tourism industry. Half an hour later, accompanied by Vice Chairman Liao, they visited century-old prestigious schools (the alma mater of Prof. Zhen Fang): Taining Experimental Primary School and Taining No.1 Middle School. On the track field of Taining No.1 Middle School, they happened to encounter several students practicing soccer, and Prof. Kozinski demonstrated his soccer skills to them.

The next morning, accompanied by Mr. Jun Yang, Executive Deputy Director of the County Industrial Park, Ms. Fang Lu, Chairman of the Association for Science and Technology, and Mr. Jun Jiang Department Director of CPPCC, Profs. Kozinski and Zhen Fang visited Fujian Xinchuangyi Bamboo and Wood Technology Co., Ltd., a bamboo product precision processing enterprise that mainly produces bamboo sticks, coffee sticks, disposable environmentally friendly bamboo knives, forks, spoons, and tableware. During the discussion with Mr. Suping He, owner of the company, Profs. Kozinski and Zhen Fang believed that the company’s disposable environmentally friendly bamboo products make a significant contribution to the national green industry economy through bamboo substitution for plastic and local bamboo resource advantages. They hope that the company can make profits and continue to grow and develop. During the discussion, Prof. Kozinski hopes to bring European businessmen to collaborate soon and suggests strengthening cooperation on the recycling of bamboo waste resources.

Afterwards, Profs. Kozinski and Fang visited Fujian Mushroom Hall Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in the park. The company mainly produces food, beverages, health products, and other products, integrating edible mushroom cultivation, production and processing, tourism and sightseeing into a highly integrated primary, secondary, and tertiary industry. During the discussion with General Manager Mr. Gaobang Chen, Prof. Fang believed that the deep processing project of edible and medicinal mushrooms happened to be consistent with the research of research group, such as the existing technology to prevent the re precipitation of Ganoderma hot-water extract. Both parties have signed a cooperation agreement.

Originally from a Catholic and former Papal country, Prof. Kozinski visited Ganlu Temple during the long summer lunch break in a small county town and offered incense and prayers for the economic development of Taining. Subsequently, a visit was made to Gendu Lijia for rural revitalization and construction, and encourage a young overseas returned student from Toronto the owner of Ananbanna Homestay, his dream with come true as a successful entrepreneur in Taining

In the third day, on the morning of August 20, 2025, Profs. Kozinski and Zhen Fang participated in the “Suggestions for the 15^th Five Year Plan” interview activity organized by the CPPCC. Local leaders such as Mr. Changping Zhang, Mr. Qiurong Jiang, and Mr. Zhenhua Zhao also attended. Under the questioning by hostess Ms. Miao Yu, Prof. Kozinski gave his views and suggestions on how Taining can become a world tourist destination, and believed that under the leadership of Mr. Zhang, Jiang and Zhao, Taining’s goals will definitely be achieved, and Bodhisattva will bless Taining with continuous progress. Prof. Fang proposed to implement the gold medal education strategy and transform the disadvantage of small population county into an advantage in cultivating elites.

After lunch, Profs. Kozinski and Zhen Fang boarded the high-speed train heading north to Nanjing. At 18:34 in the afternoon, they arrived at Nanjing South Station, and arrived at the hotel and residence at 8:00 pm. When the high-speed train was running within Zhejiang province, the screen displayed a scorching summer temperature of 40 degrees Celsius outdoors, and the train speed reached 350 km/h. Prof. Kozinski excitedly took a picture of the number and sent it to his students and families in Toronto, greatly admiring China’s high-speed rail achievements. Prof. Fang said that the three cities of Montreal, New York, and Toronto are in a triangular relationship with a distance of less than 600 km. If a 350 km high-speed railway is connected to the three cities, it will take less than 2 hours to reach them, greatly serving the people and promoting employment, we don’t know where the money will be used? Prof. Kozinski expressed his agreement, believing that Canada and the United States can learn from China’s successful experience by building high-speed railways between big cities.

Two days later, Prof. Kozinski rushed to Nanjing Lukou Airport early in the morning, hastily embarking on a journey back to Canada to fulfill his dream from over 20 years ago in Montreal. After a flight of over 10 hours (by way of Osaka), successfully arrived in Toronto, where temperature jumped to only 20 degrees Celsius. Prof. Kozinski successfully completed the 2-month work plan in extremely hot Nanjing at Nanjing Agricultural University.

Prof. Janusz A Kozinski, Engineering Dean at Lakehead, a world well-known scientist in renewable energy, is Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Board member of the Academy, he severed as Associate Vice-principal of McGill, Founding President, Hereford University of Technology and Engineering (UK), Engineering Dean at U Saskatchewan and York.

Kozinski和方真教授访问泰宁竹制品和灵芝企业寻求合作

2025年8月18日上午9：49 am，天空晴朗，万里无云，Kozinski和方真教授怀着无比喜悦的心晴从南京出发，坐往南下泰宁动车窗口，经转南昌下午16：01抵达泰宁站，天空中出现了泰宁夏末初秋特有的云朵（云海‌和‌彩霞）。在站口与泰宁政协副主席廖芳求同志会合，5分钟后抵达宾馆。休息15分钟后，驱车县政府会见政协主席江求荣同志，探讨泰宁生物资源利用和泰宁旅游产业的发展。半小时后，廖副主席陪同，参访了2所百年名校；方真老师母校泰宁实验小学和泰宁一中。在泰宁一中田径场，刚好遇到校足球队几位同学练习，Kozinski教授给同学们表演了他的球艺。

参访泰宁实验小学并和廖芳求副主席和谢世莲校长合影Visiting Taining Experimental Primary School with Vice Chairman Fangqiu Liao and Principal Shilian Xie

参访泰宁一中Visiting Taining No.1 Middle School

夕阳下Kozinski教授给泰宁一中足球队同学展示球艺Under sunset, Prof. Kozinski showcases his skills to the soccer team students of Taining No.1 Middle School

第二天一早，在县工业园常务副主任杨军，科协主席卢芳和政协主任姜君等同志陪同下参访工业园区福建新创艺竹木科技有限公司，一家竹制品精加工企业，主要生产竹签、咖啡棒、一次性环保竹刀叉勺餐具等。在和创艺竹木何苏平董事长讨论中，Kozinski和方真老师认为公司一次性环保竹产品对国家以竹代塑和当地竹资源优势绿色产业经济很大贡献，希望企业能够盈利和持续发展壮大。讨论中，Kozinski教授希望不久将带欧洲客商来合作，并建议强化对竹废弃物资源循环利用的合作。

参访新创艺竹木公司餐具产品车间Visiting the tableware product workshop of Xinchuangyi Bamboo and Wood Company

之后，在园区参访了福建省菌芝堂生物科技有限公司，该企业主要生产食品、饮料、保健品等产品，集食用菌种植、生产加工、旅游观光等为一体的一二三产高度融合。在和陈高磅总经理讨论中，方真老师认为食药用菌精深加工项目刚好和方真老师研究组研究内容一致，如已有的防止灵芝水提物再沉淀的技术。双方签署了合作协议。

参访福建省菌芝堂生物公司灵芝饮料车间Visiting the ganoderma beverage workshop of Fujian Mushroom Hall Biotechnology Co., Ltd

作为来自天主教徒和拥有过教皇的国度，利用小县城夏季长时间中午休息时间，Kozinski教授参访甘露寺并为泰宁经济发展烧香祷告。随后，参访耕读李家乡村振新建设，鼓励一多伦多归国创业的安纳班纳民宿北青老板梦想在泰宁一定会实现。

第三天，2025年8月20日上午，Kozinski和方真老师参加了政协举办“建言‘十五五’”访谈活动，张昌平、江求荣、赵振华等有关县领导参加。主持人于淼同志提问下，Kozinski老师给出了泰宁如何变为世界旅游目的地的看法和建议，并认为在张昌平、江求荣、赵振华同志领导下，泰宁的目的一定会达到，菩萨会保佑泰宁不断进步。方真老师则提出“实施金牌教育战略，变人口小县劣势为精英培养优势。

参加县政协 “建言‘十五五’”访谈活动

午饭后，Kozinski和方真老师踏上了北上南京的高铁。下午18：34，Kozinski和方真院士抵达南京南站，8：00 pm到达宾馆和住家。当高铁在浙江境内行驶时，屏幕显示室外为40摄氏度的盛夏，列车速度达350 km。Kozinski教授兴奋地拍下数字发给多伦多的学生和家人，极其佩服中国的高铁成就。我说，蒙特利尔-纽约-多伦多三个城市距离呈三角关系不到600 km, 如果通上350 km的高铁三地不到2小时到达，极大服务人民并促进就业，真不知钱用到哪了？他表示赞成，认为加拿大和美国在大城市建高铁可学习中国成功经验。

两天后，Kozinski教授一大早赶往南京禄口机场，匆匆忙忙踏上返回加拿大的万里征程以实现20多年前在蒙特利尔麦吉尔大学的梦想。经过10几小时的飞行（经停大阪）顺利抵达仅20摄氏度的多伦多。胜利完成在南京农业大学的2个月的工作计划。

Janusz A. Kozinski院士是国际可再生能源领域权威学者，加拿大工程院院士和工程院主席团成员，注册工程师，现任湖首大学工学院院长和教授，历任加拿大麦吉尔大学研究副校长助理、英国赫里福德科技工程大学创建校长、约克大学理工学院院长和工学院创建院长、萨斯喀彻温大学工学院院长等。

Joule heating for carbon material Synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects

Recently, under the supervision of Associate Professor Wei Chen, master’s student Miss Zijun Pan published a review article titled “Joule heating for carbon material Synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects” in an international academic journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

This comprehensive review systematically explores the research progress and application potential of Joule heating as an emerging electrothermal technique for carbon material synthesis. By integrating multiple perspectives—including material synthesis, mechanistic simulation, and sustainability assessment-the article highlights the highly efficient tunability of Joule heating in the preparation of various carbon materials such as graphitic carbon, flash graphene, and carbon nanotubes, and elaborates on heteroatom-doping and metal-loading functionalization strategies. Furthermore, by combining machine learning and multiscale simulations, the study elucidates the structural evolution mechanisms of materials under extreme thermal conditions. Through life-cycle assessment (LCA), it also verifies the remarkable economic and environmental advantages of this technique, providing a theoretical foundation and technological pathway for the green manufacturing of carbon materials.

The results were published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews:

Pan Z, et al. Joule heating for carbon material synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2026, 116290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116290

Joule heating for carbon material Synthesis

焦耳加热合成碳材料：机理、演化与可持续前景

最近，生物能源组硕士生潘子君在陈伟副教授的指导下，在国际学术期刊‌Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (Q1, IF=16.3) 发表了一篇题为焦耳加热合成碳材料：机理、演化与可持续前景的综述论文。

本综述系统探讨了焦耳加热作为一种新兴电热技术在碳材料合成中的研究进展与应用潜力。通过整合材料合成、机理模拟与可持续性评估等多维度内容，文章重点分析了焦耳加热在石墨碳、闪蒸石墨烯、碳纳米管等多种碳材料制备中的高效调控能力，并阐述了其在杂原子掺杂与金属负载方面的功能化策略。研究进一步结合机器学习与多尺度模拟揭示了极端热条件下材料结构的演化机制，并通过生命周期评估验证了该技术在经济性与环境友好性方面的显著优势，为推动碳材料绿色制造提供了理论依据与技术路径。

结果发表在‌Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews：

Pan Z, et al. Joule heating for carbon material synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2026, 116290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116290

Stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste oil: Biofuel production, catalyst regeneration and environmental assessment

Recently, Master graduate student Mr. Guo-qiang Zhu (currently a PhD student at City University of Hong Kong) supervised by Associate Prof. Lu-jiang Xu and Prof. Zhen Fang published a research article in Chemical Engineering Journal about stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste cooking oil.

Valorizing waste cooking oil into biofuels not only achieves renewable green fuels but mitigates waste disposal. Here, we demonstrate a catalytic pyrolysis process using novel regenerable austenitic stainless steel catalysts containing Fe (II) and Fe (III) active phases. Firstly, an activated SS catalyst with austenite Fe and metal oxides showed outstanding deoxygenation performance, directionally promoting the enrichment of alkene. And then, optimal pyrolysis conditions were investigated via response surface methodology and determined as temperature 550 °C, single catalyst layer and feeding rate 3 mL/h. Besides, catalyst exhibited exceptional cyclic stability over 10 consecutive cycles, attributed to its unique coke-mediated regeneration mechanism. Distinguished with active surface sites, the regenerated catalyst recovered the catalytic activity and made coke deposits form carbon nanotube structure where the regeneration mechanism was proposed in terms of experimental results and characteristics of coke and catalyst. Eventually, life cycle assessment was conducted stressing on the reduction of global warming potential and environment impact for whole process and sensitivity of key parameters. Overall, this work provides fundamental insights into coke-catalyst interactions while establishing an industrially viable pathway for sustainable biofuel production.

Related results were accepted in Chemical Engineering Journal：

Stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste oil to Biofuels

不锈钢催化废弃油脂热解：生物燃料生产、催化剂再生和环境评估

最近，硕士毕业生祝国强，现为香港城市大学在读博士研究生，在徐禄江副教授和方真教授的指导下，在国际学术期刊Chemical Engineering Journal (Q1, IF=13.2) 发表了一篇关于不锈钢催化废弃油脂热解的研究性论文。

将废弃食用油转化为生物燃料，不仅可以获得可再生的绿色燃料，还可以减少废物处理。本文展示了一种采用新型可再生奥氏体不锈钢催化剂的催化热解工艺，该催化剂含有 Fe(II) 和 Fe(III) 活性相。首先，含有奥氏体和金属氧化物的不锈钢催化剂表现出优异的脱氧性能，定向促进了烯烃的富集。然后，通过响应面法优化了最佳热解条件，确定了最优条件为温度 550 ℃、单层催化剂和进料速率 3 mL/h。此外，由于其独特的积炭介导再生机制，催化剂在连续 10 次循环中表现出优异的循环稳定性。由于活性表面位点的存在，再生催化剂恢复了催化活性，并使积炭沉积形成碳纳米管结构，并根据实验结果以及积炭和催化剂的表征结果提出了再生机理。最后，对整个工艺进行了生命周期评估，重点关注降低全流程的全球变暖潜能值和环境影响，以及关键参数的敏感性。这项研究为焦炭-催化剂相互作用提供了基础性见解，同时也为可持续生物燃料生产提供了重要途径。

结果发表在Chemical Engineering Journal：

G Zhu, H. Xu, J. Zhang, G. Xie, Z. Fang, L. Xu*. Stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste oil: Biofuel production, catalyst regeneration and environmental assessment. Chemical Engineering Journal（IF=13.2）(2025) 167020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.167020

BDE-Driven Sustainable Synthesis of Lignin-derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-phase Hydrodeoxygenation

Recently, PhD student Ge-liang Xie supervised by Dr. Lujiang Xu and Profs. Zhen Fang published a research paper on the sustainable synthesis of hydroxybenzonitrile from lignin-derived vanillin in the international academic journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Achieving high-value utilization of lignin through catalytic upgrading to produce nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds represents a key route for sustainable chemical production. Among these compounds, hydroxybenzonitriles (HBNs) are important fine chemicals widely used in pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and materials. Currently, they are primarily synthesized industrially via fossil fuel refining processes, which involve multiple steps, complex operations, and are unsustainable. Therefore, developing a method to synthesize HBNs from inexpensive and renewable raw materials is crucial.

Vanillin is the most industrially produced aromatic compound derived from the oxidative depolymerization of lignin. Studies using bond dissociation energy (BDE) analysis have determined that the cyano functional group can be selectively retained during the synthesis of hydroxybenzonitrile from vanillin (C≡N: 136.21 kcal/mol vs. C-O: 62.44–116.17 kcal/mol). Thus, HBNs can be sustainably prepared through a two-step process involving vanillin nitrilation and vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO).

In the first step, vanillin was converted to vanillonitrile under a green H₂O/HCOOH system and mild conditions (85 °C, 12 hours), achieving a high yield of 99.2 mol%—superior to that obtained using the traditional DMF system. In the second step, during the continuous vapor-phase HDO of vanillonitrile, a modified Mo/TiO₂ catalyst with triple functionalities (oxygen vacancies, appropriate Mo⁵⁺ content, and strong metal–support interactions) achieved a 57.6% HBN yield, outperforming Mo/ZrO₂. Owing to the enhanced metal–support interactions, this catalyst retained 90% of its initial activity after eight cycles. This study establishes a sustainable route for converting lignin into chemicals and advances the development of catalyst design principles for biomass upgrading.Publication:

GL Xie, Y Cao, SR Li, QQ Lu, W Chen, S Gao, W Qiu, C He, Z Fang, LJ Xu, BDE-Driven Sustainable Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-Phase Hydrodeoxygenation. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2025, 13 (32), 13030-13041. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04554

基于BDE的木质素衍生羟基苯甲腈的可持续合成：通过串联绿色氰化和气相加氢脱氧

最近，博士生谢葛亮在徐禄江副教授和方真教授的指导下，在国际学术期刊ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (Q1; Impact factor: 7.3)上发表了一篇关于木质素衍生物香草醛可持续合成羟基苯甲腈的研究性论文。

Synthesis of Lignin-derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-phase Hydrodeoxygenation木质素基香草醛串联腈化与气相加氢脱氧合成羟基苯甲腈

通过催化升级木质素生成含氮芳香化合物的途径，实现木质素的高值化利用，是可持续化学品生产的关键途径。其中，羟基苯甲腈（HBNs）是广泛应用于农药、医药、染料和材料等的重要精细化学品，目前工业上主要通过化石冶炼合成，该过程步骤多、操作复杂且不可持续。因此，开发一种使用廉价且可再生原料合成HBNs的方法至关重要。

香草醛是目前通过木质素的氧化解聚在工业规模上生产最多的芳香族化合物，研究通过键解离能（BDE）分析确定了香草醛到羟基苯甲腈的合成过程中氰基官能团可以被选择性保留（C≡N: 136.21 kcal/mol vs C-O: 62.44-116.17 kcal/mol），因此通过香草醛的腈化和气相加氢脱氧（HDO）两步实现羟基苯甲腈的可持续制备。

在第一步香草醛合成香草腈的实验中，研究在绿色的H₂O/HCOOH体系和温和条件下（85°C，12小时）获得了高产率香草腈（99.2 mol%），优于传统的DMF体系方法。在第二步香草腈的连续气相HDO中，经过改造的Mo/TiO₂催化剂具有三重功能（氧空位、适量的Mo⁵⁺、强金属-载体相互作用），实现了57.6%的HBN产率，性能优于Mo/ZrO₂。由于增强的金属-载体相互作用，该催化剂在8个循环后仍保持90%的初始活性。本研究建立了可持续的木质素转化为化学品的路线，推动了生物质催化剂设计原则的发展。

详情可见：

GL Xie, Y Cao, SR Li, QQ Lu, W Chen, S Gao, W Qiu, C He, Z Fang, LJ Xu, BDE-Driven Sustainable Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-Phase Hydrodeoxygenation. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2025, 13 (32), 13030-13041. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04554

One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Recently, Dr. Chunxiao Gong (Associate Professor), together with Prof. Shuai Li (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University) and Dr Qixuan Lin (South China University of Technology) proposed a one-step method to convert cellulose acetate (CA) plastic waste into the high-value chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The research, titled “One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural”, was published in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy (IF:21.1). Dr. Chunxiao Gong is the first author, while Profs. Zhen Fang, Shuai Li and Dr Qixuan Lin are the corresponding authors.

Cellulose acetate (CA) is a widely used cellulose derivative, commonly applied in cigarette filters, textiles, and plastics. The extensive use of CA-based products generates large amounts of plastic waste. Due to its low biodegradability, CA has become a “hidden source of pollution,” persisting in the environment for more than 10 years, with degradation rates decreasing sharply as the degree of acetylation increases. This poses severe environmental challenges.

In this study, using AlCl₃ as the sole catalyst in an acetone–water solvent system at 160 °C for 50 minutes, CA was converted into HMF with a yield of 53.7%, which is three times that of untreated cellulose. When real waste materials (cigarette filters and CA fabrics) were used as feedstocks, the HMF yield also exceeded 50%. This technique provides a feasible route for the upcycling of CA plastic waste.

The in-situ generated acetic acid synergistically interacted with AlCl₃, where acetic acid coordinated with Al(III) to regulate Lewis acidity, suppressing side reactions and promoting the fructose dehydration pathway. Meanwhile, the acetyl groups in the CA structure enhanced interactions with acetone solvent, further improving reaction selectivity. The process was equally effective for real CA waste (e.g., cigarette filters, fabrics), demonstrating strong application potential. Compared to previous studies on cellulose conversion to HMF, this system achieved high efficiency under milder conditions and with lower catalyst loading, offering a new pathway for the valorization of CA plastic waste.

Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that CA’s acetyl groups form noncovalent interactions with acetone molecules. Acetone preferentially surrounds the C1 and C4 positions of CA, preventing unnecessary protonation at these sites and thereby reducing byproduct formation (e.g., humins). The interaction energy (ΔE) between a CA monomer and acetone reached 15.04 kcal/mol, while that between a cellulose disaccharide monomer and acetone was only 7.76 kcal/mol, showing a significant difference. During the reaction, acetic acid released from deacetylation further participated in catalysis, working synergistically with AlCl₃ to promote HMF formation.

Results published in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy:

C Gong, Z Ju, Q Lin, X Lv, RL Smith Jr, L Xu, Y Cao, L Shuai, Zhen Fang, Z, One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2026, 381, 125880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125880

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醋酸纤维素塑料废弃物一步法转化为5-羟甲基糠醛

近期，团队成员龚春晓副教授联合福建农林大学帅李教授、华南理工大学博士林琦璇提出一步法将CA塑料废物转化为高价值化学品5-羟甲基糠醛（HMF）。研究以“One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural”为题发表于Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy (IF:21.1)。龚春晓副教授为第一作者，方真教授、福建农林大学帅李教授、华南理工大学博士林琦璇为通讯作者。

Production of HMF from CA plastic waste醋酸纤维素塑料废弃物一步法转化为5-羟甲基糠醛

醋酸纤维素(CA)是一种用途广泛的纤维素衍生物，广泛应用于香烟滤嘴、纺织品和塑料等消费品。醋酸纤维素类产品的广泛使用产生了大量塑料废弃物，CA的低生物降解性使其成为一种“隐性污染源”，可在环境中可能存留超过10年，且降解速度随着乙酰化程度的升高而大幅下降，带来严峻的环境挑战。

本研究使用AlCl₃作为单一催化剂，在丙酮-水溶剂系统中160°C、50分钟条件下，CA转化为HMF产率达53.7%，是未处理纤维素的3倍；当以真实废弃物（香烟滤嘴、CA织物）作为原料时，HMF产率均超过50%。这项技术为CA塑料废物的升级回收提供了可行途径。

原位生成的乙酸与AlCl₃协同催化作用，乙酸通过与Al(III)形成配位络合物调节路易斯酸性，抑制副反应并促进果糖脱水路径；CA结构的乙酰基则通过增强与丙酮溶剂的相互作用进一步提高反应选择性。该工艺对真实CA废弃物（香烟滤嘴、织物等）同样有效，展现出良好的应用潜力。与前期纤维素制备HMF研究相比，该体系在更低催化剂用量、更温和条件下实现了高效制备HMF，为CA塑料废弃物的高值化利用提供了新途径。

通过分子动力学模拟发现：CA的乙酰基与丙酮分子发生更强的非共价相互作用，丙酮优先围绕在CA的C1和C4位置，阻止了这些部位发生不必要的质子化，从而减少了副产物（如腐殖质）的生成；CA单体与丙酮之间的相互作用能量（ΔE）达15.04 kcal/mol，而纤维素单体纤维二糖与丙酮仅为7.76 kcal/mol，显示出显著差异；反应过程中，乙酰基脱落生成的醋酸进一步参与催化，和AlCl₃形成协同作用，促进HMF生成。

结果发表在Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy:

C Gong, Z Ju, Q Lin, X Lv, RL Smith Jr, L Xu, Y Cao, L Shuai, Zhen Fang, Z, One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2026, 381, 125880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125880