This is the first volume of a two-volume set book, Electromagnetic Wave Innovations for Sustainability, which explores advancements in electromagnetic technologies like photocatalysis and microwave chemistry for sustainable energy production, recycling, and environmental remediation, within the framework of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the circular economy. It is followed by a second volume, Electromagnetic Wave Innovations for Sustainability II: Recycling and Environmental Remediation.

The first volume introduces the fundamental principles that connect sustainability with electromagnetic-wave science. It begins by outlining the concepts of the circular economy, sustainable development, and green chemistry, followed by core theories of electromagnetic waves. Subsequent chapters highlight the role of photocatalysis in pollutant decomposition, wastewater purification, and the advancement of sustainable environmental technologies. The volume concludes with theoretical and industrial perspectives on microwave chemistry, including reactor simulations, extraction technologies, and the contributions of microwaves to sustainable chemical processes.

Satoshi Horikoshi received his Ph.D. in 1999 and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Frontier Research Center for Global Environmental Science until 2006. He has held positions at several universities and has been a professor at Sophia University since 2020. Currently, he is the president of JEMEA and serves on the editorial advisory board of several international journals. Moreover, he serves on several national committee and boards of scientific society. His research interests include novel functional materials, nanomaterials, catalytic reactions, food science, biology, sustainable energy, environmental protection, data science, beauty/health and circular economy processes using “microwave- and photo-energy sciences”. He has co-authored over 230 publications and contributed to 41 books. He regularly appears on television to explain microwave technology.

Nick Serpone is a Professor Emeritus (1968-1998) and was a Research Professor (1998-2004) at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. He was a Contract Professor (winter semesters 2002-2005) and since 2005 a Visiting Professor at the University of Pavia (Italy;). He was also a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Bologna (1975-1976), Invited Professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (1983-1984; Switzerland), Research Director at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon (1990-1991; France), and a Visiting Professor at the University of Ferrara (1997-1998; Italy) as well as at the Tokyo University of Science (Japan) and a Guest Lecturer at the University of Milan (Italy). He was Program Director at the National Science Foundation (1998-2001; Washington, DC, USA) and a consultant to the 3M Company (1986-1996; Saint Paul Minnesota, USA). He has co-edited/co-authored 18 books, contributed 42 chapters to books, and published over 520 articles. His principal interests have focused on the photophysics and photochemistry of coordination compounds and metal-oxide semiconductors, together with Photocatalysis for environmental remediation, and microwave chemistry. He is a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) and was Head of its Materials Science Division between 2014 and 2020. In collaboration with Prof. Leonardo Palmisano of the University of Palermo (Italy) he has recently co-authored a General Chemistry Textbook titled “CHEMISTRY – Understanding Fundamentals and Principles” for advanced College Undergraduates.