Advanced materials from industrial and agricultural byproducts

Partnered with different industries and local communities we study the synthesis of advanced materials with added value from common unused byproducts. A previous work in this line was the synthesis of paper and lignine from banana production byproducts. Current projects include the synthesis of zeolites and cementitious materials.

Currently working on this:
PhD Student: Hernán Gonzales Yanguatin Calcined clays as cementitious supplementary materials hyanguatinb@unal.edu.co

Master Student: Maria Margarita Guerra Synthesis of zeolites from a mineral residue of thermal power industry mmguerran@unal.edu.co

Advanced Materials from Colombia’s natural and mineral resources

Fique fibers as catalyst support

Fique fiber has been studied as a catalyst support for iron nanoparticles in order to use them in advanced oxidation processes for degradation and mineralization of water from textile industries. The development of the catalyst includes pretreatment of the raw fiber, functionalization of the material to improve the anchorage to the surface and the incorporation of iron nanoparticles by wet impregnation

Currently working on this:
Master Student: Karen Bastidas
Iron nanoparticles supported on Fique fibers
kgbastidasg@unal.edu.co

Undergrad student: David Barinas
Título de la tésis
odbarinaso@unal.edu.co

Our research group is pioneer in the use of natural and mineral resources, since 2012 we have been working with ilmenite: a promising mineral material found in our rivers which can be used in waste water treatment by photocatalytic processes.

Currently working on this:
Master Student: Simon Castañeda Sse of ilmenite in decontamination of pharmaceutical waste water sdcastanedac@unal.edu.co

Micro and nanomaterials

Synthesis and characterization of micro and nano Zeolites, Iron nanoparticles, Titanium dioxide nanoparticles, highly organized porous nanostructures of valve metals' (Titanium, Tungsten, Aluminium, Iron) oxides via anodization. The group also uses this material for non environmental applications such as energy storage.

Currently working on this:
Master Student: Francisco Javier Quintero Cortes Synthesis of TiO2 nanotube arrays fjquinteroc@unal.edu.co

Photo- and photoelectrocatalysis

While the previous research lines focus in the synthesis conditions and their effects on the morphology of novel materials, some of these are photo and photoelectrocatalytic. We also investigate on these materials' performance in light powered applications, including waste water treatment, volatile organic compounds removal, and hydrogen and electricity production from water splitting.

Currently working on this:
Master Student: Francisco Javier Quintero Cortes Synthesis of TiO2 nanotube arrays fjquinteroc@unal.edu.co

Advanced Oxidation Processes

Other aqueous reactions are also studied in the treatment of polluted waters, with homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts that perform Advanced Oxidation Process: Fenton, Fenton-like, photo-Fenton, and UV light treatment.