Want to join? Give me a nudge 😀

✅ Adopt protocols in your lab
✅ Share new applications
✅ Co-create with students

Let’s embed sustainability in chemical education together!
#SustainableChemistry #OpenScience #GreenChemistry #CircularEconomy #ChemEd #RECOMPENSEProject

u-PSSA catalyzes Friedel–Crafts reactions with biobased substrates → quantitative yields of a biodiesel precursor under mild conditions.

Waste → Catalyst → Renewable fuel precursor. That’s circular chemistry in action. 🌱

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Lq...

What makes this special?

👩‍🎓 Co-created with MSc students at @uclchemistry.bsky.social
📚 Builds practical skills + systems thinking
🌍 Open science resources for global classrooms
Students aren’t just learning. They are co-authors of solutions.

▶️ Videos: www.youtube.com/@RECOMPENSEp...

What is RECOMPENSE?

RECOMPENSE = REcyclable Catalysts frOM PolystyrENe waStE

✅ Turns single-use PS lab waste into polystyrene sulfonic acid (u-PSSA)
✅ Works as a heterogeneous acid catalyst for organic synthesis
✅ Accessible, low-cost protocols for teaching labs

🌐 Explore: recompenseproject.com

This PBL startup framework shows how chemistry education can prepare students for real-world sustainability challenges. We hope it inspires wider adoption across institutions.

📖 Full open-access article

#SustainableChemistry #CircularEconomy #GreenChemistry #ChemED #ProblemBasedLearning

✨ What we found:

- High student engagement in pilot cohorts
- Strong performance: majority achieved Distinction grades
- Graduates pursued sustainability-focused careers, from industry to consultancy
- The model is flexible, scalable, and adaptable to other sustainability challenges

Key roles students explored:

🔬 Research Scientist – design synthetic routes
🌱 Sustainability Officer – evaluate biomass & green metrics
🧪 Quality Control Analyst – test product/process quality
📊 Marketing Analyst – explore markets & applications
⚖️ Patent Attorney – ensure originality & ethics

We built a student startup model 💡

- Students form “companies”
- Academics act as CEOs/CSOs
- Postgraduate Teaching Assistants serve as Project Managers
- Learners adopt professional roles inspired by real job ads

This structure mirrors industry practice and boosts career awareness.

Why this work? 🌍

Chemistry education must evolve to meet sustainability challenges. We wanted to design a teaching model that:

- Embeds circular economy principles
- Connects theory with real-world career skills
- Engages students through active, problem-based learning

📢 We’re excited to connect with educators, researchers, and sustainability advocates who want to explore or expand the use of these resins.

💬 Got feedback, ideas, or want to collaborate? We’d love to hear from you!

recompenseproject.com/contact/

And a lab-scale application to prepare a precursor of biodiesel

We have already developed a robust and user-friendly protocol to upcycle Polystyrene waste from our teaching labs at UCLEast

🌱 This initiative promotes #sustainablechemistry by:

Reducing polystyrene waste
Encouraging innovative reuse in research
Bridging education and green chemistry practices

Our mission?
To turn polystyrene waste from teaching labs into polystyrene sulfonic acid resins, affordable, accessible, and reusable catalysts for organic synthesis.

#SustainableChemistry #GreenChemistryEducation