Dual function materials for
integrated separation and catalytic reaction
Dual function materials (DFM) with adsorbent and catalytic capabilities were first developed to take advantage of the exothermic chemical methanation of carbon dioxide to drive the endothermic desorption process from adsorbent sites, avoiding temperature or pressure swing steps that are conventionally employed. The field has now evolved beyond this initial concept, demonstrating many different applications where coupling adsorption and catalysis can have benefits in terms of process intensification. Our work in this area explores experimental development and testing of dual function materials, optimisation across different scales and technoeconomic assessment of new DFM processes.
Recent publications:
Upcycling microplastics pollution
Of the many types of plastics that have become intertwined with all our lives, microplastics form the biggest threat to human health due to their small size and large surface area-to-volume ratio, which are factors that make them hard to separate/collect, and lead them to sorb/concentrate other contaminants which makes the entire food chain vulnerable. While there are emerging technologies to collect microplastics for some sources, (such as washer/dryer filters for synthetic clothes derivatives), ways to safely achieve their disposal/destruction without combustion are lacking. Our research in this area involves developing methods and engineering catalysts to upcycle this waste to high tech products.
Recent publications:
Parrilla-Lahoz, S., Jiménez-Páez, E., Masteghin, M.G., Pawlak, J.J., Venditti, R.A., Bird, R., Servin, P., Odriozola, J.A., Reina, T.R. and Duyar, M.S., 2025. Upcycling textile derived microplastics waste collected from washer and dryers to carbonaceous products using hydrothermal carbonization. Waste Management, 200, p.114740.
Parrilla-Lahoz, S., Zambrano, M.C., Pawlak, J.J., Venditti, R.A., Reina, T.R., Odriozola, J.A. and Duyar, M.S., 2024. Textile microfibers valorization by catalytic hydrothermal carbonization toward high-tech carbonaceous materials. iScience, 27(12).
Parrilla-Lahoz, S., Zambrano, M.C., Stolojan, V., Bance-Soualhi, R., Pawlak, J.J., Venditti, R.A., Reina, T.R. and Duyar, M.S., 2023. Charting a path to catalytic upcycling of plastic micro/nano fiber pollution from textiles to produce carbon nanomaterials and turquoise hydrogen. RSC sustainability, 1(5), pp.1177-1183.
Parrilla-Lahoz, S., Mahebadevan, S., Kauta, M., Zambrano, M.C., Pawlak, J.J., Venditti, R.A., Reina, T.R. and Duyar, M.S., 2022. Materials challenges and opportunities to address growing micro/nanoplastics pollution: a review of thermochemical upcycling. Materials Today Sustainability, 20, p.100200.