Two types of cattail flower-derived nanoporous carbon (NPC), i.e., NPC activated with KOH and H₃PO₄, were produced and characterized using several techniques (e.g., Raman spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The influence of the carbon support characteristics on the particle sizes and chemical states of Pd in the synthesized Pd/NPC catalysts, which affect the catalytic activity and product selectivity, was analyzed. The surface chemistry properties of NPC were the main factors influencing the Pd particle size; by contrast, the textural properties did not significantly affect the size of the Pd particles on NPC supports. The use of Pd nanoparticles supported on the rich-functionalized surface carbons obtained by H₃PO₄ activation led to superior catalytic activity for the polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl ester (poly-FAME) hydrogenation, which could achieve 90% poly-FAME conversion and 84% selectivity towards monounsaturated FAME after a 45-min reaction time. This is due to the small Pd nanoparticle size and the high acidity of the catalysts, which are beneficial for the partial hydrogenation of poly-FAME in biodiesel. Conversely, the Pd nanoparticles supported on the high-surface-area carbon by KOH activation, with large Pd particle size and low acidity, required a longer reaction time to reach similar conversion and product selectivity levels.

Lignite-derived activated carbon (L-AC) was fabricated via a microwave-assisted KOH activation process using a low-rank Mae Moh lignite and explored its potential as an adsorbent solid for post-combustion CO₂ capture. Optimization of the KOH ratio, microwave irradiation power, and activation time gave rise to a product with a BET surface area of 1349 m² g⁻¹ and total pore volume of 0.78 cm³ g⁻¹, which represented 165 times and 78 times enhancement compared with that of the initial lignite, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images proved the formation of a hierarchical macropore–mesopore–micropore structure, whereas Raman (I_D/I_G = 1.83) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed a graphitic-like structure rich in defects with the existence of C=O and C–O–C functional groups involved in the Lewis acid–base interaction between L-AC and CO₂ molecules. Dynamic fixed-bed breakthrough tests performed at temperatures of 298, 328, and 353 K under post-combustion relevant conditions (CO₂ concentration: 15%, pressure: 1 atm) yielded CO₂ equilibrium uptake capacities of 47.34, 34.37, and 21.34 mg g⁻¹, respectively, with outstanding cyclic stability achieved after six consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles of temperature swing adsorption–desorption at 393 K. Among the seven nonlinear kinetic models, the Avrami, FL-PFO, and general-order models exhibited the highest fitting accuracy (R² = 0.9994–0.9998), suggesting that CO₂ adsorption onto L-AC proceeds through heterogeneous, multi-stage adsorption kinetics. A Weber–Morris intra-particle diffusion analysis identified a three-stage sequential transport mechanism in which mesopore diffusion constitutes the primary rate-limiting step. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed spontaneous (ΔG° = −24.20 to −26.87 kJ mol⁻¹), exothermic (ΔH° = −9.42 kJ mol⁻¹), and entropy-assisted adsorption (ΔS° = +49.93 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹) consistent with a physisorption mechanism, corroborated by a low activation energy of 9.11 kJ mol⁻¹. These findings demonstrate the viability of low-rank lignite as a low-cost precursor for the scalable synthesis of high-performance carbonaceous CO₂ adsorbents for post-combustion capture applications.

Air-pollution source control is usually prioritised by emission mass, yet the health damage per tonne emitted varies widely in space. Using agricultural-residue open burning in Northern Thailand as a case study, we couple a GIS emission inventory with a province-resolved damage-function health model to quantify the health and economic burden, quantify how the health damage per tonne emitted varies across provinces, and apportion the co-benefits of diverting residue from open burning between air-quality and climate gains. In 2018, residue burning released about 21 kt of PM_2.5, 3.0 kt of black carbon and 0.84 Mt CO₂-eq of net non-biogenic greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide), together with 6.2 Mt of biogenic CO₂ that is refixed by the following crop and is not a net climate source, with rice, sugarcane and maize contributing 39%, 35% and 20% of fine particles respectively, imposing costs of 59,600 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs; 97.5% from primary PM_2.5) and ~USD 1.07 billion per year. The damage caused per tonne emitted varied 4.8-fold among provinces (1.43–6.85 DALY per tonne of PM_2.5), so the largest emitter (Nakhon Sawan) was not the province whose emissions caused the largest attributable burden (Phetchabun); damage-weighted prioritisation therefore identifies where diversion yields the greatest benefit. Diverting rice and maize residue avoided 12 kt PM_2.5, 1.6 kt black carbon and 0.56 Mt CO₂-eq of net greenhouse gas, and 60% of the health and economic burden; extending diversion to sugarcane raised these to 20 kt, 2.9 kt, 0.79 Mt CO₂-eq and 95% (USD 1.02 billion per year), so a three-crop strategy is required. Rice-only and maize-only diversion were not clearly separable (rice-only was larger in 64% of the Monte Carlo draws).