Development of porous fibroin membranes and application as a potential adsorbent for removal of organic and inorganic pollutants

• Grant number: 21/14018-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2022
• End date: May 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Agostini de Moraes
• Grantee: Gabriel Yoshiaki Ottaiano
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/16175-3 - Development of porous fibroin membranes and application as a potential adsorbent for removal of heavy metals, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Environmental pollution concerns altogether the various spheres of contemporary society, and can reach the soil, water, and air, affecting the life of all living beings in all environments. The polluting compounds can be divided into two categories, the organics and the inorganics. The removal of these pollutants brings together efforts of researchers all around the world, focusing on increasingly green and sustainable treatment processes. Adsorption is a treatment technique where the pollutant compounds are retained on the surface of the adsorbent material. One of the most used materials today is the activated carbon, but its cost and need of pretreatment for its activation makes it a not so attractive option when considering the environmental and ecological needs that are being increasingly demanded by society. New materials are being developed and studied in order to investigate their capabilities as green adsorbents. Therefore, in this work, the objective is to study the use of porous fibroin membranes to adsorb pollutant compounds such as dyes and heavy metals. Fibroin is a protein extracted from the silkworm cocoon that presents excellent biodegradability properties and adsorption capacity, representing a potential green adsorbent for various pollutants. It is expected to develop a new material based on fibroin that is able to successfully remove several organic and inorganic pollutants, representing a green method to treat industrial effluents.