Development of optimized and environmentally sustainable biomaterials for CO2 capture

• Grant number: 25/20063-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Kelly Johana Dussán Medina
• Grantee: Ana Laura Bueno Baptista Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03000-0 - Obtaining high value-added bioproducts from a by-product of the coffee production chain, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

The United Nations has emphasized the urgent need to intensify research aimed at developing technologies capable of converting agricultural and industrial residues into valuable resources for society. In this context, transforming low-value by-products into high-value products, combined with CO¿ capture techniques, represents a promising strategy to diversify the industrial portfolio and generate multiple products from a single raw material. However, such advances must be grounded in sustainability principles, avoiding the use of polluting technologies that would worsen the waste problem. The economic and energetic utilization of plant biomass thus emerges as a strategic alternative for the sustainability of production chains, considering their environmental, social, and economic impacts. Based on this perspective, the present project aims to valorize spent coffee grounds as a lignocellulosic raw material for the synthesis of a sustainable biomaterial. Carbonaceous materials with CO2 adsorption capacity will be developed, contributing to climate change mitigation. This approach is expected to establish a synergy between sustainability and technological innovation, standing out as a promising solution for atmospheric CO2 reduction. (AU)