Thermo-chemical conversion via the pyrolysis of cigarette butt (CB) filters was successfully valorized and upcycled in the pre-carbonization and carbonization stages. The pre-carbonization stage (devolatilization) of the precursor material (cellulose acetate filter, r-CAcF) was analyzed by micro-scale experiments under non-isothermal conditions using TG-DTG-DTA and DSC techniques. The results of a detailed kinetic study showed that the decomposition of r-CAcF takes place via complex mechanisms, including consecutive reaction steps and two single-step reactions. Consecutive stages include the α-transition referred to as a cellulose polymorphic transformation (cellulose I → II) through crystallization mechanism changes, where a more thermodynamically ordered system was obtained. It was found that the transformation rate of cellulose I → II (‘cellulose regeneration’) is strongly affected by the presence of alkali metals and the deacetylation process. Two single-step reactions showed significant overlapping behavior, which involves a nucleation-controlled scission mechanism (producing levoglucosan, gaseous products, and abundant radicals) and hydrolytic decomposition of cellulose by catalytic cleavage of glycosidic bonds with the presence of an acidic catalyst. A macro-scale experiment showed that the operating temperature and heating rate had the most notable effects on the total surface area of the manufactured carbon. A substantial degree of mesoporosity with a median pore radius of 3.1695 nm was identified. The presence of macroporosity on the carbon surface and acidic surface functional groups was observed.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant hormones that play important roles in regulating various physiological and developmental processes in plants. One of the most effective BRs involved in modulating crop growth is 24-epibrassinolide (24-EBL). The effects of different concentrations of 24-EBL on various biochemical and biophysical parameters critical to early growth stages and seedling development were investigated using two maize hybrids, ‘ZP 434’ (a new-generation hybrid) and ‘ZP 704’ (an older-generation hybrid). The evaluation of results is based on measurements of germination percentage, morphometric parameters, redox status, comparative analysis of thermodynamic parameters (such as Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, entropy), and the concentration of specific sugars in different parts of maize seedlings. The results indicate that the germination and initial growth of maize seedlings are influenced by the flow of crucial sugars from the remaining seed (as a source of nutrients) towards the plumule and radicle (as sink organs). Furthermore, alterations in Gibbs free energy play a significant role in these sugar transfers within the maize seedlings. The seed germination was most affected by the highest concentrations of 24-EBL, showing inhibitory effects, whereas lower and moderate concentrations of exogenously added 24-EBL exhibited a beneficial influence on the initial phases of seedling growth. The mentioned approach gives new insights into source–sink relationships and can be used as a quantitative measure of the germination energy, which until now has been a qualitative criterion in seed science.

Thermo-chemical conversion of cigarette butt filters (CBFs) waste was investigated using various thermal analysis techniques (simultaneous TG-DTG-DTA and DSC methods) at different heating rates in an inert atmosphere. Thermo- and thermophysical properties of waste material were discussed, from the point of view of chemical structure and the influence of experimental parameters on the conversion process. It was established that acetyl groups of plasticizer (triacetin, TAC) interact with cellulose acetate (CAc) through dipolar interactions and hydrogen bonding’s. Influence of these polar interactions can affect the position of glass transition temperature (Tg) of CBF. Based on estimated value of Tg from DSC analysis, it was found that CAc present in CBF has degree of substitution (DS) equals to 2.8 (DS = 2.8), where the presence of cellulose triacetate (CTA) was confirmed. It was assumed that an increase of DS leads to decline in the crystallinity. A decline of crystallinity causes the reduction of hydroxyl groups, leading to less organized chains, and whereby decreasing of inter-molecular interactions through hydrogen bonding. Based on the examination of thermophysical characteristics of the tested material, it was found that both, the heat capacity and the thermal inertia (TI) of material linearly increase with temperature, during pyrolysis progression. It was concluded that the type of bio-char produced in this process would have a large capacity to store the heat, which may depend on the formed particles size diameter and porosity. Furthermore, it was inferred that magnitude drops of thermal conductivity (κ) after Tg depends on the material fibrillation.