Chemical Engineering

Coral reefs are keystone species providing nutrients and shelter for many marine organisms. Coral restoration continues to face many challenges involving various external factors such as pollution, acidification, and overfishing. These ecosystems are primarily threatened by ocean warming leading to coral bleaching, which disrupts a symbiotic relationship by expelling algae. This is a unique and crucial symbiotic relationship with Symbiodiniaceae, where both exchange nutrients. If dysbiosis persists, coral becomes more vulnerable leading to death.

Chemical Looping Ammonia Synthesis has been developed as a promising ammonia production route, offering minimal reliance on fossil fuels, enhanced process conditions, flexibility and potential for renewable energy integration. Chemical Looping Ammonia Synthesis (CLAS) typically operates by decomposing the overall ammonia synthesis reaction into two or more sub-reactions which is carried out using a mediating Nitrogen carrier.

Among the numerous issues confronting our world today, two significant challenges stand out: waste management and freshwater contamination. This study addresses these issues by developing innovative recycling and circular economy techniques. For the first time, steel slag waste was converted into slag nanocomposites using a solvothermal preparation technique for wastewater treatment in an advanced oxidation process.

The acceleration of climate change due to carbon emissions has generated an imminent need to transition towards renewable energy sources. However, the intermittent nature of renewable sources like wind or solar energy necessitates breakthroughs in energy storage devices that can rapidly charge and discharge. This poster presents research on the improvement of capacitance in ionic liquid electrolytes by tuning electrochemical interfaces.

The challenge of plastic waste management has intensified globally due to the non-biodegradable nature and fossil-based origin of most plastics. This research presented explores a novel approach to plastic upcycling through ideal catalytic cracking, with a focus on greener reaction conditions, such as supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) processing.

High levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have contributed negatively to climate change, global warming and ocean acidification. Therefore, here we provide a possible solution to help reduce these levels together with the production of CH4, a high-value chemical intended for energy purposes. The approach we utilize was invented by our group, making use of a metastable intermediate Hydrogen-bonded Metal-Organic Framework (HMOF) to synthesize, by dehydration, stable and functional phosphonate MOFs.

Enhancing the efficiency of material processing, utilization, and recycling is pivotal for advancing sustainability in modern society. The objective of this study is to create sustainable methods for converting non-food biomass into recyclable polymers. One key compound, 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid (BPDA), is used as an additive in copolymer production and as a blending agent to improve the properties of polyester. BPDA was synthesized through the oxidation of 4,4'-dimethylbiphenyl (DMBP), a compound that can be efficiently derived from biomass-sourced 2-methylfuran.

The use of zerovalent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) immobilized in a chitosan (CS) polymer matrix is presented as an innovative and efficient solution for the removal of Cr(VI) in wastewater. nZVI, recognized for their high redox reactivity, have proven to be highly effective in removing various contaminants, including heavy metals. However, their tendency to agglomerate in aqueous media significantly reduces their surface area, reactivity, and mobility.

Refrigerants, essential to heating and cooling systems, are estimated to be used in large quantities daily (approximately 850 million kilograms). While advancements on past generations of refrigerants have reduced toxicity and flammability, current hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants are being phased out due to their high global warming potential (GWP). Recycling and repurposing HFCs is challenging, as many are azeotropic mixtures that cannot be separated using conventional distillation.

Contaminant metals represent a significant threat to global water systems, with severe implications for human health. Treatment technologies utilizing porous materials embedded with nanomaterials offer a promising approach for the effective removal of these contaminants. In this study, charcoal was produced from yerba mate sticks, a form of industrial waste.