GREEN CHEMISTRY produced from LGO . For example , the LGO scaffold can be converted into existing pharmaceuticals , flavour and fragrance molecules , and agrochemicals , using well-established chemical methods . The flexibility of the platform allows new molecules and derivatives to be synthesised in all of these areas . LGO has also been converted into a variety of monomers for new highperformance polymers , another key area for development . Finally , biobased solvents , such as Cyrene , can be made in one step directly from LGO ( Figure 1 ).
Cyrene
The global dipolar aprotic solvent market , estimated to be in excess of 1 million tonnes / year , is currently dominated by fossil-based solvents , such N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone ( NMP ) and N , N-dimethylformamide ( DMF ). These substances are coming under increased regulatory pressure around the world . Extensive research has demonstrated that Cyrene , a lowtoxicity , biobased , dipolar aprotic solvent , is a safer and more sustainable , high-performance alternative . The Furacell process reduces the carbon footprint of its production by up to 80 % compared to similar petroleum-based solvents . Furacell also offers a dramatic reduction in waste creation during production and at the end-oflife stage . Circa developed Cyrene in conjunction with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence ( GCCE ) at the University of York . Cyrene has a unique property set , including viscosity , surface tension and polarities , making it extremely well-suited to producing advanced materials , and it outperforms traditional dipolar aprotic solvents in 20-30 % of applications . Cyrene can be used across a range of key markets ( Figure 2 ). In particular , it has significant advantages in the sustainable production of materials , including graphene printing and production , membrane and nanoparticle manufacturing , and the recycling of lithium-ion ( Li-ion ) batteries . Each of these is discussed below .
Graphene
Graphene is one of the world ’ s most important nanomaterials . Its applications include advanced composites and polymers , coatings , batteries and supercapacitors , 3D-printed materials and functional fluids . Recent research by the GCCE and the Spanish National Research Council found that using Cyrene in making graphene from graphite via exfoliation resulted in a significant increase in the concentration of the graphene dispersions compared to traditional solvents . The University of Manchester – the birthplace of graphene – successfully produced the highest quality conductive graphene ink ever reported , using Cyrene instead of NMP . Graphene inks can directly be applied to materials like textile and paper and used in many applications including transistors , sensors , antennae , radio frequency identification tags and wearable electronics . Recent work at the University of Adelaide has shown that a Cyrene-based graphene ink can be used for 3D extrusion printing to create sensors for volatile organic compounds . 1 The devices made using this ink had high-resolution patterning as well as an improvement in surface area-to-volume ratio when compared to traditional methods .
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