Hierarchical structure of cellulose ether porous materials for controlled oxygen release

• Grant number: 23/18116-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Denise Freitas Siqueira Petri
• Grantee: Camila Gruber Chiaregato
• Supervisor: Tatiana Budtova
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Centre De Mise En Forme Des Matériaux, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/06284-0 - Cellulose ether, biomass and calcium peroxide based cryogels for the removal of drugs and oxygen release in aqueous medium, BP.DR

Abstract

Solutions for water scarcity due to contamination are one of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. In this sense, systems that allow the controlled release of oxygen have gained attention due to the possibility of recovering polluted areas. Calcium peroxide, when it reacts with water, is used as a source of oxygen. In this proposal, we will develop porous hybrid materials, aerogels, based on ethyl cellulose, kapok fiber, and calcium peroxide. The novelty lies in the establishment of hierarchical structures between the polymer and kapok fiber, an innovation until now unparalleled in the existing literature. Aerogels with low density, high porosity, and surface area will be produced by CO2 supercritical drying. The porous materials will be characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, apparent density, and mechanical compression. The oxygen release kinetics, resulting from the immersion of the hybrid aerogels in water, will be evaluated.