Microwave chemistry articles from across Nature Portfolio

Significant amounts of food waste are generated, and although composting is a useful route for such waste, the process is long. Here, the authors report the development of a microwave-assisted method for the rapid humification of waste potato, resulting in a fluvic acid-like fertiliser.

Traditional catalytic methods for recycling plastic often suffer from reduced efficiency and high energy demands. Here, the authors demonstrate a highly efficient and rapid process for depolymerizing plastic waste into valuable monomers and lubricant base oil precursors using microwave-assisted catalysis with Zn/b-ZnO under mild conditions.

Peptide drug manufacturing commonly uses large amounts of hazardous solvents primarily due to multiple washings after each step. Here, the authors introduce the concept of a completely wash-free methodology that enables up to 95% waste reduction.

Incorporating thermoelectric materials into our everyday clothing could be an clever way of keeping our smart devices powered at all times. A study now looks into the feasibility of this, noting the importance of reaction conditions on the thermoelectric properties.